lucetilogs | A-rescuing we go~ [Closed, unfinished]

A-rescuing we go~ [Closed, unfinished]

Who: Edward and Balthier
What: Ed attempts to rescue Al despite everyone telling him he's an idiot. Because he is.
When: Around half an hour or so after Ed talked to Balthier. (I think?)
Where: Starts in front of the tea shop. We'll see where they get to? XD;
Summary: Stupid Ed is stupid. <3
Rating: G-PG

After double-checking everything, Edward headed to the tea shop to meet up with Balthier. He thought he did a pretty good job clothing-scrounging; in half an hour's time, he'd managed to procure a thicker coat with a fur-lined hood -- red, like the one he used to wear, -- a pair of thick gloves, and a pair of winter boots. It felt strange not to be in his normal gear, but he had to admit that it was getting cold. Very cold. He was glad for the forced gloves and boots more than anything, after running around outside. There were some damage that were all the worse when one didn't feel them; Winry would have killed him if he'd let anything happen to his automail, and he doubted there would be a way to fix it there, anyway.

With a bag slung over one shoulder filled with what little food was in their house that didn't seem too perishable, Ed half-waded through the snow.

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Balthier leaned against the building, gratefully absorbing the heat the building radiated. He imagined it would be the last heat he'd have access to for a few days, at the least.

He hated the cold. Absolutely loathed it, always had. Archadia had been temporate; Balfonheim had been paradise. This ...

To hell with this place, he thought irritably, taking a sip from the hot chocolate in his right hand. In his left, he held an identical cup for Edward.

He glanced around the quiet village, looking for signs of his companion. Everyone sane has the sense to stay inside. And there in the distance, Edward appeared, his coat a violent splash of contrast against the bleak landscape. Balthier was pleased to note that he'd taken his warning to heart; with any luck, the extra clothing would even prove useful.

He eyed the pack by his feet, mentally checking off the contents one last time. If fate was kind to them, it would be enough. Hopefully.

"Edward!" He refused to relinquish his warm spot on the wall until absolutely necessary, but lifted the cup high in greeting.

"Balthier!" Edward summoned up a small, lopsided smile and a wave, a little calmer now from his romp in the snow. The cold air nipped at his face, still exposed, but he didn't mind much; it cleared his head, better than anything else could. Still, he would not give up this mission that he knew was a fool's. Then again, what had he done that wasn't? Trying to bring back the dead, the search for the Philosopher's Stone, then attempting to cross worlds... and they had succeeded in all but one, after all.

He knew, however, as he walked towards Balthier, that this time, their lives were not his to risk. An adventure was well and good, but not when one ended up dead from it, and he had already led too many people to their destruction, when they sought only to help him.

And besides, he thought with a wry smile, there are a bunch of strangers who, apparently, would never forgive me if I died.

Not that he expected to die, really, but, if possible, he'd certainly like to keep Balthier, at least, from capture. Kindness deserved far better rewards than that.

Balthier smiled lazily and held the cup out to Edward as he approached. "Drink this; it'll warm you up."

He lifted his face to the sky, his gaze on the angry-looking clouds impaled on the higher mountain peaks. There would be snow, perhaps not for several hours, but as inevitable as the Rains in Giza. He sighed, taking another long drink of his own hot chocolate before glancing back at Ed.

"Are you absolutely sure you want to go through with this?" He asked seriously, though he was sure he already knew the answer. "It won't be a picnic."

"Thanks." Edward lifted the cup to his lips, slowly sipping, a small sigh escaping at the sweet taste. Balthier had spoken true; it warmed him from within, making him feel for one moment as if things would be all right.

Eyes following Balthier's gaze, Ed watched the clouds. Even he had no illusions about their meaning. It would snow, and badly -- that was what they were going to have to walk through. He shivered, dreading the journey already. And yet... Al would be at the end.

"Yeah." Ed looked down, fists clenched at his sides, determined. His brother needed him -- and even if he knew that there was nothing he could do, anything was better than sitting around. "I've been through worse. A little snow won't stop me."

Balthier nodded silently, draining the last of his beverage. Reluctantly, he pushed himself away from the wall, kneeling to check the ties on the pack.

When he was done, he glanced up at Edward, measuring the desperation and strain that the boy displayed. His concern for his brother was painfully obvious -- Balthier could sense that he'd calmed down a bit in the last hour or so, but would probably still try to do something stupid if he thought it would help his brother.

How young he is. He wondered if Fran would scold him for encouraging this fool mission in any way. Ah, well.

"Well, then," he said, standing and brushing the snow from his knee. "Let's get this adventure started, shall we? We've one more stop before we leave town."

"Hm? Where?" Ed glanced up, licking the last drops of hot chocolate off of his lips.

Despite his journeys, he had to admit he was painfully unaware of how this "adventure", as Balthier had put it, was really supposed to work. After all, during all his travels, all he had to do was to show his watch, and everything would be taken care of -- train fares, inns, food... But even had he his watch, here, or money, it would be useless, he knew. There wouldn't be stores where they were heading.

It was a good thing Balthier was going, he knew. It would look really bad, after all, if he got himself into worse trouble than Al instead of rescuing him, just the way everyone seemed to be predicting.

Balthier glanced back over his shoulder at Ed. "I imagine this isn't going to be just a day-trip," he said, lifting a brow. "I had to find some sort of shelter."

He hefted his pack onto his shoulders and adjusted it to the most comfortable position he could -- it was heavy and would slow him down, but he'd rather be slow and prepared than freeze to death out in the middle of barren nowhere.

"Unfortunately, our accommodations won't be first-class, but one of the shopkeepers managed to find us a small tent. It'll have to do, unless you'd rather sleep in a snowbank, somewhere."

"Right, thanks." That was another thing that Ed didn't even think of. Lodging had seemed so simple, back then. He'd pay for an inn, and that was that. And even barring that, he needed not do anything more than to clap to make shelter. But with his alchemy the way it was, he wouldn't be surprised if whatever he made collapsed on them overnight, if he could even manage it at all.

So now that they had clothing and shelter... "I guess we need to get food?"

He had brought some, of course, but it was just what was lying around the house. He doubted it would be enough.

Balthier snorted. "Don't thank me yet; you get to help carry it."

He patted the pack over his left shoulder. "I've taken care of the food; it might taste like old malboro stew, but anything more is simply taking up space."

"Heh, fair enough." There was something closer to a grin this time, as Ed grabbed the tent, first checking its weight before hefting it over his shoulder, thankful that his body, at least, had not weakened. Years of quiet research without the constant danger of death had softened some of his muscles, he knew, but he was certainly nothing close to out of shape.

"All right, then..." Remembering something, Ed reached into his pocket, fishing out his journal and flipping it to one of the latest entries.

There it was... "Here, I've got directions on how to get there."

Balthier lifted an eyebrow. "So, who did you coerce for that information?" He looked steadily at Ed. "I can't imagine anyone being terribly willing to give that information to you."

"Sheena..." Ed pouted a little; did Balthier think that badly of him? "I didn't coerce it from her. She told me last time that... she could remember the way and could tell me."

((OOC: Eek, should have responded earlier, busy and forgot, sorry.))

Balthier hmm'ed quietly. "I suppose that means that she condoned this escapade, as well?"

"Guess she must have, if she gave me the instructions..." Ed gave a small shrug, trying to appear light-hearted, and failing, he knew. "They... all made me promise to come back alive."

Balthier laughed. "They did, did they? I suppose we'd better not let you break your promise, then."

He paused, sighing. "So, which way are we headed, anyway? That storm isn't getting any more patient."

"Yeah." Ed laughed as well, though his eyes were still sad. "If I died here, they'd probably bring me back just so they could kill me themselves. Besides, I can't leave Al alone..."

For a moment, he paused, glancing at the map and studying it. "The easiest way would be to follow the river upstream to the mountains."

"Well, someone would bring you back, in any case," Balthier said mildly, his lips curling downward. "Can't say it'd be pleasant, though."

He peeked over Ed's shoulder, glancing at the crude map. "Hmm," he muttered, mostly to himself. "I hope this thing's accurate. Only one way to find out, eh?"

With that, he turned and began to move in the direction the map indicated.

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A-rescuing we go~ [Closed, unfinished]

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