Bring out your dead (a list of grievances)

Chapter 1

Felix grimaces, gripping tightly to Sylvain's cloak as he urges his horse to speed up.

"She's not going to throw you, Fe," Sylvain chuckles, tilting his head so he can just see Felix behind him.

"Doesn't mean I have to like it," Felix mutters back, glancing upwards when Ingrid's pegasus flies overhead, casting a shadow over the two of them on the ground as she passes the moon.

"It's a wonder you've managed to get anywhere."

"I lead infantry, remember?" he loosens his grip a little on Sylvain, leaning back as much as he dares. "I march alongside my men."

"You came alone to Gautier House."

Felix can hear the question in Sylvain's tone. He huffs in response, jabbing Sylvain in the side, in between the gaps of his armour.

"Hey! I'm just saying, Gautier territory is further north, therefore further away from Garreg Mach. You didn't walk to Gautier, did you?"

He didn't. He had travelled most of the way with his father, a slight detour on his path towards Fhirdiad. But Felix wasn't about to let Sylvain win this, so instead—

Another jab.

"Ow! Okay, okay..."

"Hey!" Ingrid calls down, pointing ahead of them, "I spot Empire troops. We're going to have to go around."

Sylvain sighs. "We're not going to make it before morning."

"Can't we just go through them?" Felix calls back, and he can hear Ingrid's eye roll from up in the sky.

"Too many for that, Felix. Even for you."

Felix presses his lips together with a hum, before hissing as Sylvain twists in his saddle to keep Ingrid in view, throwing Felix off balance for a moment. "Whoops, sorry—" Sylvain says, before raising his voice for the pegasus rider, "Best we go off-road from now on. Lead the way."

The shadow swoops over them once more, and Felix has to grip tighter to Sylvain as they turn off the beaten track.
_____

"Do you reckon anyone else will come?" Sylvain asks quietly. He doesn't twist to look at Felix, doesn't turn his head. In the dark of the night, Felix can barely make out the red hair curling around Sylvain's ears and collar.

"I wasn't going to," Felix replies, "it's a foolish idea. We all made this stupid promise before we got thrown into war."

But Felix knows how seriously Sylvain keeps his promises.

Sylvain hums. "You had the choice of staying behind, y'know," he says, "like, ultimately you'd probably be more use holding the line against the Dukedom."

"Don't sell yourself short, Sylvain."

"I'm not, I'm not. But Fraldarius is basically the second most important family in Faerghus."

"Was," Felix corrects, distaste clear in his voice, "if we keep going like this, Faerghus won't even exist. We already lost Rowe to the Empire."

Sylvain is quiet for a moment, before responding —

"Ashe is with Gilbert, searching for Dimitri last I heard."

Felix nods slightly, movement stiff. "He was always the more optimistic of us."

"You say that as if he's on an impossible quest or something," Sylvain says, trying for an amused lilt to his voice and falling short.

"I'm just saying, my old man's been on the same mission for years now and come up with nothing."

There's another pause. "Do... do you think he's alive?" He doesn't need to say who he is - they both know.