Chapter 17 - Before We Fight

                                    

                                          
Author Notes:

                          
-I do not own Fire Emblem and do not make any profit from this story.
                          
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"Good! Now shift even more of your weight in your attacks."
                          
Cherche executed the command, beads of sweat dripping down her face as she swung the axe in the air yet another time. A few feet away stood Lon'qu, observing her with crossed arms.
                          
"The power behind your blows is what will make the difference on the battlefield. Do it again!"
                          
With an unrestrained shout, the knight swung wildly, cutting down the imaginary enemy in front of her. Gasping for air, she paused, using the short break to recover a little of her strength. It had been more than half an hour now since Lon'qu had led her to an empty place that acted as their makeshift training area. Once arrived, he had left her for a couple of minutes, only to return with a heavy looking bag and a couple of targets. Since then, the woman had had no break, striking blow after blow under the commands of her instructor.
                          
"Recovered your breath? Then strike harder! You are using an axe, overwhelm the enemy with it."Her brief respite cut short, she lifted her axe again, returning to her fighting stance. Such an intense workout was reminiscent of her days in Rosanne, back when she was still training with her comrades. Gritting her teeth, she swung wildly at the air, following the blow with a powerful overhead attack. Panting, she let the tip of the axe fall to the ground, using its haft as a crutch to remain standing.
                          
"Good! That will be enough, any more and you will drop to the ground."
                          
Too exhausted to answer, the woman gave him a simple nod and dragged both her weapon and body to a patch a grass on the side. With a sigh of relief, she sat down, letting her weapon lay on the side. Less than a minute after, Lon'qu joined her, carrying the heavy bag between his arms. As he carefully dropped it on the ground, the package made a scuffed clang. Curious, Cherche pointed her finger at it.
                          
"You've been keeping that bag near you ever since we arrived. What's inside?" she asked.
                          
"All in due time. Take a breather, there is still time before Chrom and the others return," Lon'qu answered with a dismissive hand before sitting next to her. He brought a hand to his hip and untied a flask from his side before handing it to the woman. "Here, let me repay you for the last day."
                          
The knight seized the flask gratefully and brought it to her mouth without waiting, gulping down half of its contents in a few seconds. Wordlessly, she handed the bottle back with a grateful nod. They remained silent for a couple of minutes, sitting side by side while she recovered her breath. Next to her, the man seemed pensive, repeatedly stroking his chin with his right thumb.
                          
"Thank you. I needed that," Cherche finally said, breaking the silence. With her right hand, she grabbed the axe on the ground before turning to man. "Shall we get back to it, then?"
                          
Apparently tore from his trance like state, Lon'qu eyed her for a couple of seconds before answering. "Back in the ship, you told me you fought so that Rosanne could be freed, and you reunited with your friends, right?"
                          
Taken aback, Cherche paused for a few seconds to think before answering. Usually silent, Lon'qu was acting unlike his usual self: from his question to the bag he carried around yet refused to reveal its contents, she could tell something was running through his mind. She turned her head to observe the man, only then realizing he had been sitting less than two feet away from her the whole time.
                          
"I'm afraid most of my friends are gone now," she finally answered, casting her eyes down. "If anything, I'll fight to make Walhart pay for what he and his men did to Minerva."