The Dragneel Affair | NaLu

Chapter 11 - I See Fire

Pressburg, Austrian Empire

Late February, 1806

It had been a week since the incident. Lucy had become a Russian soldier, which had excited most of the troop, minus Gajeel who couldn't care less. Erza was the most excited. She hugged her tightly. Now Lucy was walking with Makarov through the woods.

"They won't get away with this that easily!" She had exclaimed. Makarov chuckled, he liked this side of Lucy. She was stubborn and ambitious, he didn't expect this out of a girl who grew up balancing books on her head.

"No, they won't," he agreed. He suggested to take her hunting. He used it as an excuse to talk her, he wasn't planning on shooting his musket. Snow was starting to melt away. Dull colored blades of grass were appearing as the white blanket of frozen water melted away. He told her stories, of how he met the soldiers. Apparently they were mostly orphans. He met Gajeel as he tried to rob a bakery. He found Gray with his tongue frozen to a poll. "He never told me how he got there," Makarov explained. "I bet some older kids dared him to." He found Loki one night, stealing roses from the Empress's garden.

"Natsu's a different story," he said. He found Natsu being chased through St. Petersburg, with a fist full of money. "I helped knock Natsu to the ground and I gave the police the money. I swear that boy wanted to kill me. I bought him a cup of coffee and some pastry of the sort. That's what we did for weeks. Every Friday afternoon. Eventually he told me why he had stolen money. His older brother wasn't healthy, mental wise. Natsu couldn't afford to pay for help, he could hardly pay for the food he needed for him and his younger sister, Wendy. Their mother went missing a few months after Wendy was born and their father was killed in a carriage accident." He went silent for a moment to let Lucy take it in. When she didn't reply, he continued.

"This was back in August. One day I asked him to join the army and at first he immediately turned down the offer. He said he couldn't leave his family. I had to convince him that the pay would be helpful. Now he sends money back every month and Wendy usually writes to him," Makarov finished. His eyes widened as he remembered something.

"I received a letter from her to Natsu last week. I've meant to give it too him, but I've been forgetting about it." Makarov picked up his pace and headed back towards the campsite. Lucy followed close behind him, surprised at how fast he could be for being so short.

• • •

"You know who you're talking to?!" Gray asked. He and Natsu had gotten into one of their daily fights. Lucy sat next to Erza, trying to listen. Now that she was a soldier, she had to learn Russian.

"I don't know. An ass with two eyes?" Natsu retorted. Erza chuckled as she reached for her blanket.

"Oh, Jesus!" Loki exclaimed as he laughed. He was always amused with their fights. He was feeding the horses, with whatever he could find. Today it was pieces of bread. Makarov was digging through his belongings, trying to find the letter.

"What did you say to me?"

"He called you an ass," Jellal clarified. He was taken, "prisoner of war," according to Erza. Gray lunged at Natsu, knocking him to the ground. Lucy and Erza watched in amusement as they poured tea leaves into the boiling water over a fire. The two were rolling around in the dirt, which had been mostly mud due to the melting snow, when Makarov called Natsu's name.

"What?" Natsu asked, Gray held his head close to the ground. Half of Natsu's face was covered in mud.

"Letter, I've been meaning to give it to you." Makarov held the letter out to him. Natsu took it and read the return address, recognizing his sister's hand writing. He pushed Gray off of him and stood, brushing what dirt he could off his uniform. He walked towards his knapsack and dug out a bottle of whiskey.