Post by Solana on Feb 5, 2021 16:33:25 GMT -5
An old story I wrote up for k'arthur's fanfic contest a number of years back. We had a few themes to choose from, and I picked 'Happiness'. It was very interesting dipping my pen outside of Lunar, but a lot of fun. I've always had a soft spot for Gremio. I hope you guys enjoy it.
Spoiler warning- if you've started Suikoden but haven't gotten past Soniere yet.
To be wise is not to depart from joy, but to see instead its many sides- Alyssa, Ancestors of Avalon, Diana Paxson
A single ray of sunshine touched the stark black ensemble of the group of mourners. Just outside of the city of Gregminster to the east lay its cemetery, on a windswept hill planted with flowers and shady trees. A few bright birds swooped for insects, looking quizzically at the solemn procession and their tears before going back to their meal.
Leading the train of solemn folk was Master Teo McDohl, looking older than his years in grief. His dark eyes were sunken with exhaustion and lined with pain. His five year old son held his hand tightly, keeping his face up and trying to wink back tears. On his other side was his best sword pupil and good friend, Sonya Shulen. Her blue eyes were filled with compassion and a pain that matched his own, and she occasionally reached out to touch his shoulder reassuringly.
Walking just behind them were the three youths that served in the McDohl home. Cleo and Pahn had only been there since the Mistress had become ill, but Gremio had served the family since before the Young Master had been born. He walked with his head down, his slashing blond bangs not quite hiding the tears that were streaming down in rivers. Mistress Kira McDohl had been like a mother to him, as Master Teo had been a father, and he felt as lost as the Young Master today. Cleo and Pahn had been a mountain of support, to the point that Pahn had said nothing about being hungry yet today.
Stretching out far behind them were Teo's associates in the military, shopkeepers, innkeepers, and most of the citizens of Gregminster. Kira had been known and loved many years for her soft heart and generosity to their neighbors, and her loss had come as a terrible blow to many of them. Many were thinking of the many occasions when she had brought gifts of food, flowers, and conversation during their own times of illness.
On the very top of the hill was the resting place for the lady they had come to honor. Planted at the front of the dove gray headstone were blossoming bluebells. As the rest of the group began to arrive for the ceremony, Gremio stared at the flowers. Their sweet scent on the wind carried his memory back through the years....
A bright-eyed, brown-haired woman knelt in her garden just outside the McDohl manor, busily weeding a plot of land. A blond kid brought her a cup of tea with a serious expression on his face. "Here you are, Mistess. Master Teo says you need to remember to rest," Gremio said, echoing Teo's sternness.
Kira laughed merrily and sat back on her heels, then affectionately ran one hand over her very pregnant belly. "Teo's such a dear, but he doesn't need to worry. A garden is a place of healing and peace." She removed her dirty gardening gloves, then accepted the cup and inhaled the sweet aroma gratefully. "But thank you, Gremio. You're too good to me."
Embarrassed, Gremio ducked his head and sat down next to her. "What are you going to plant here, Mistress?"
"Bluebells," Kira explained, pointing to a set of planters already brimming with fragrant blue blooms. "You see, Gremio, a gardener has to prepare the soil, water and fertilize the plants, and take them inside if it's going to freeze, but that's all. The plant has to do the growing all by itself."
"But what about protecting it? What if it rains too much, or not enough?" Gremio asked curiously, concerned for the fragile plants that Kira had coaxed from seeds.
"You do all you can, but remember that some things are out of your hands," Kira answered serenely.
Gremio didn't understand that, as busy as Kira always was in her garden, but didn't say so. Instead, he went for his hatchet and started chopping wood chips for Kira to use as mulch while she continued weeding. He'd gotten only one basket ready for her when a voice called him from the house to come in for his lessons.
"I'll see you later, Mistress Kira," Gremio said apologetically, setting the basket near her and his hatchet back on the woodpile.
"Wait." Kira reached over to her plants and plucked a single blossom to hand to him. "Give this to your teacher. Sometimes a single flower is enough to make someone's day a little brighter."
"Thank you, Mistress," Gremio replied, accepting the blossom and running off. Kira smiled, patted her belly in pride, and got back to work weeding.
The casket was closed and draped with flower garlands of all colors. A large portrait of Kira was on a nearby table that held more flowers donated by Gregminster's citizens. The people were gathering around the gravesite, giving their consolations to Teo and asking if the Young Master was being a good boy for his father. Although Teo answered politely, the Young Master only looked bewildered and tongue-tied. Gremio's heart went out to him, and he was very grateful when Teo excused their group to head towards the casket for the eulogy.
Kira's brother Rolf went to the front of the crowd, then cleared his throat to catch everyone's attention. With great care, he removed a piece of paper from his jacket pocket and began to read a poem that Kira had composed many years back.
Seeds of dust, planted among the womb of the earth.
Drops of sustenance, fire of sun.
A new life pushing itself into existence.
Slender stems, swaying under the summery sky.
Displaying the blossoms and fruits, their lives' work.
The first frosts of fall.
The fruits are gathered, to pass on their life to others.
The stems fall to earth, return to their true home as dust,
and sleep under winter's downy blanket, content.
"I think we can all agree that Kira had her own way of doing things," Rolf stated as he put the paper away, and the crowd let out a light chuckle of agreement. A slight smile appeared on Gremio's face as he nodded. "A few weeks ago, Kira told me that she wanted a different kind of funeral. Instead of a long, boring eulogy that no one would be interested in hearing, she wished her friends and family to come up and share happy memories of their times together."
Those gathered looked at each other in astonishment, with the more conservative ones pursing their lips in disapproval and the ones closer to Kira smiling as they thought back to different tales to share.
Kira's mother came forward to tell a funny story about Kira not giving up when first learning to walk. A teacher came up to describe how Kira would secretly stay outside longer at lunch to walk through the gardens. Marie regaled them with how Kira came to visit when she had been very ill, bringing her a fresh bouquet of flowers every week. Teo told of the day they had met.
Gremio's eyes trailed down to the Young Master standing next to him, and he smiled at the pride that glowed through the tears in the little boy's eyes. He laid a gentle hand on the boy's shoulder as a childhood friend of Kira told about the time they had sneaked into the nobles' gardens to examine their flowers.
"Master Teo, why don't you tell us about the day that yours and Kira's pride and joy was born?" Rolf suggested.
Teo turned a little red. "Well, actually...Gremio might be a better one than I, as he was there the whole time," he admitted.
"Gremio, then. Come up here and tell us how it went," Rolf requested. Roars of agreement arose from the folk around them.
Gremio flushed a brilliant scarlet and stepped back a few paces, his hands clenching his black cape as if he wished to hide in it. "N-n-n-no, I couldn't p-p-p-possibly..." he stammered.
The crowd began chanting his name, and Pahn wickedly gave the blond youth a shove forward. Gremio dug in his heels stubbornly, until a small hand tugged on his cape. The Young Master looked up at him entreatingly, then towards his uncle. Gremio sighed reluctantly, not wanting to hurt or embarrass him on a day that was so difficult already, and went to stand by the casket.
The sweet scent of flowers was even stronger here, and for a moment Gremio could feel Kira's laughing spirit near him. "Go ahead," he could almost hear her saying.
Licking dry lips, his gaze back on the Young Master who now wore a smile on his tear-streaked face, he told the tale.
Teo was panicked the day that his beloved wife finally went into labor. He knew how to lead a cavalry, had memorized an encyclopedia's worth of strategy and tactics, and had heard of every move in swordplay documented from the Island Nations to Harmonia. However, this was clearly out of his league.
The midwife Jari, rumored to have been a student of Dr. Liukan himself, was as capable at handling nervous fathers-to-be as the mothers-to-be. "Teo, stay out of the way. Go to the inn for a drink and calm down a little," she began, pushing him out of the house. Before he knew what had happened, the door had slammed in his face. Next, Jari turned to Gremio. "Can you get a pot of tea going while my assistant and I take care of Kira?"
"Yes, ma'am!" Gremio agreed enthusiastically.
"'Atta boy," Jari remarked in approval, ruffling his hair before she and her helper went to go see to their patient.
As Gremio fetched some fresh water and began to set it to heat, he heard moans and odd noises coming from the Mistress' bedroom. He had no idea what was considered 'normal' or what was dangerous, but he reminded himself that Jari was Gregminster's best midwife. Master Teo wouldn't have allowed anyone less to care for his wife, and he had to have faith in Master Teo's judgment.
As the water began to boil, the moans and cries came to a crescendo. Gremio was just adding the herbs when Jari's assistant came flying down the stairs. "How is Mistress Kira?" he asked desperately.
The assistant left without a word, apparently on a mission of the highest importance.
Gremio's brows knitted together in concern. Jari was the best...wasn't she? His fist clenched, and he finished the tea and brought it up to the room where his beloved mistress was in such agony. If Master Teo wasn't here to make sure that Jari was doing everything possible, then it was his duty to be there instead!
His heart began galloping like a terrorized colt as the cries turned into screams. He hesitated for only a second, then entered the room without knocking. Jari looked up, her brown eyes plainly worried. A sheet draped over Kira's lower body was heavily spotted with blood, and Kira herself was pale and sweating with pain and effort. "Mistress!" Gremio cried out. She didn't answer, but only screamed once more.
Jari moved to take the tea that he had brewed, then paused. Indecision was clear on her features as she stared at him, then at her charge. Finally, she nodded. "Can you be brave for me, Gremio? Can you stay here and help me?"
"Tell me what to do!" Gremio begged, wanting to do something for the woman who had always treated him as a son.
"Hold her hand and talk to her. Encourage her. Wipe the sweat from her head with a cool cloth. Remind her about the wonderful little child she's about to bring into the world," Jari replied briskly, and went back to the area covered by the sheet.
"Okay!" Gremio answered, and went up to Kira's side. He took her hand, squeezing it gently to let her know that he was there for her. A small squeeze of acknowledgment came in return, then a large one as Kira moaned in pain.
"You're going to have a little baby, Mistress Kira. A little heir or heiress for Master Teo. He's going to be so proud of you," Gremio said softly. He found a clean washcloth and used it to gently wipe the sweat dribbling down her face.
Kira's gray eyes were cloudy with exhaustion and fear. "No... I can't do it... something's wrong..." she moaned.
"He or she is stubborn, Kira, but it's nothing that we can't fix. You have to help me!" Jari ordered.
"I...can't..." was the weak reply.
A sudden surge of protectiveness welled up in Gremio's heart. She had cared for him all this time, treating him more like a son than a servant. Now it was his turn to take care of her. Not as a servant, but as a man. "You can!" he cried out, surprising them both with his conviction. "Your seeds, Mistess- you've always fought for their lives! You weed them, you water them, and you cover them in a storm." He squeezed her hand, willing her to feel the strength of his love for her. "You can bring this one to the sunlight, too!"
"I... I can do it," Kira agreed breathlessly.
"Okay, Kira, let's go!" Jari called encouragingly.
Kira clenched her eyes shut and steeled herself for the next push. Gremio yelped as she squeezed his hand, but refused to move. "Ahhh....my baby....come....live... ahhhhhhhh!" Kira shrieked, then collapsed against her pillows as a lusty cry pierced the air.
"It's a boy!" Jari announced. Kira smiled in triumph, exhausted tears trickling down her cheeks. In no time at all, a blanket-wrapped bundle was gently placed in Kira's waiting arms. Gremio leaned over to get a close look at the new Young Master as Kira took a tiny little hand in hers.
His head was covered with a black shock of hair, and he was quite small. Gremio had never seen eyes like his, so filled with hope and innocence and strength. "He's so beautiful," he commented softly.
"What's the lad's name?" Jari asked curiously.
"Teo and I decided that his name would be-" Kira began.
More wails came from the tiny infant, and Jari laughed. "You can tell me later- I think you'll find this one to be quite a talker," she remarked. "Well, I think mother and child both need their rest. Gremio, how would you like to give him his first bath?"
Gremio glanced at Kira, who nodded in complete trust. Carefully, Gremio took the small miracle from her arms and went to the small basin that Jari had already prepared. The midwife herself went to make sure Kira was made comfortable.
As gently as if he were washing fragile glass, Gremio cleaned up the boy. As the warm water touched his body, the little one quieted in astonishment. Carefully, Gremio let a trickle of water run over the dark hair, and he would swear that the baby boy had a smile in his eyes.
"Young Master," he murmured. "My Young Master. I'm going to take such good care of you."
The baby gurgled in reply, and Gremio laughed.
Master Teo didn't seem to begrudge Gremio the honor of telling of his son's birth- in fact, he even gave him a warm clap on the shoulder as they listened to the rest of the unconventional eulogy.
After the stories, the dinner was served up for the guests. Neither Gremio nor Cleo had much of an appetite, and instead were helping Marie and the other cooks from the city's inn. Pahn had offered to keep an eye on the Young Master as they ate, but neither of the two was fooled at his 'altruism'. The martial artist took a heaping plate for himself, a smaller one for his charge, and went to go sit with Master Teo and his old friend Ain Gide.
"Everyone looks rather spectacular for wearing black, don't you think?" Milich Oppenheimer asked, coming through the line and surveying the crowd with a criticizing eye.
Cleo managed to bite her tongue while Gremio smiled politely. He knew the cream of Gregminster society looked to Milich for fashion advice, but had not yet discovered why. "I am sure Master Teo is grateful for your efforts in arranging mourning attire," he replied instead, handing over a bowl of his special stew.
Milich studied Gremio for a moment, his expression that of a man who had just taken a huge bite out of a lemon when expecting an orange. "My dear boy, that cape does NOTHING for you! Perhaps a suitable hat, adorned with orange and blue roses..." His own hat was a dyed black silk, festooned with yards of black lace and a single black rose, and he patted it as proudly as a strutting peacock.
By this time, Cleo was coughing to cover the snorts of laughter attempting to break out, and a concerned Marie patted her strongly on the back. "I-I'm afraid there are m-more people in line, Master Milich. M-maybe another time?" Gremio suggested half-heartedly, grateful that at least Pahn was sitting out of earshot.
"Yes, of course. Come see me for a fashion consultation sometime soon- I only have your best interests at heart!" Milich assured him, and continued down the line for dessert from Marie.
Sonya, who was next in line, rolled her eyes at him after Milich turned his head. "What an idiot. How are you doing, Gremio?" she asked kindly.
"I will be all right, Lady Sonya. I am more worried about Master Teo and the Young Master," Gremio answered.
"Master Teo is hurting, but he is staying strong for his son. Such a fine man..." Sonya trailed off, gazing at her mentor, then turned back to Gremio. "That was an amazing story, you being there at the birth."
"That's why Young Master follows you around like a duckling," Cleo teased, and even Sonya cracked a smile at that. Gremio flushed, half in embarrassment and half in pride, when Pahn suddenly came up to the group. There was a hint of panic in his eyes.
"You...uh, you haven't...Young Master didn't come up here for food, did he?" he asked, his tone overly casual.
"Pahn....?" Cleo asked suspiciously. Gremio felt a sinking feeling in his stomach.
"He's gone. I only left him for a minute to get seconds," Pahn explained defensively. Everyone stared at him in disbelief, and he reddened under their gaze. "I didn't know that Master Teo and Master Ain Gide had gone to Master Kasim's table!"
"Pahn, you idiot! How could you lose him today?" Cleo snapped, her eyes flashing.
"It's not my fault! I told you.." Pahn began heatedly.
Gremio felt sick with worry. They were outside of the protected walls of Gregminster. There were monsters around, or he could get lost in the crowd! Maybe some political enemies of their home were here today, waiting for a chance like this! When the Young Master was alone, lost, and in grief! "We-we have to find him right away! There's not a m-moment to lose!"
"Pahn, where did you see him last?" Sonya asked coolly. She had a natural flair for command and a calm head in a crisis, likely gifts that she had picked up from Master Teo along with her sword skills.
"He was sitting in his chair, right there," Pahn replied, pointing. The table he had been sitting at was the farthest one out under the expansive tent. Beyond it lay only the great plains that stretched all the way to Rockland.
"Go among the crowd, and look for him discreetly. If anyone sees him, they'll remember that you were watching him and bring him back to you," Sonya reasoned, then turned to Cleo and Gremio. "Meanwhile, we'll split up and search the plains if he took off to be alone. I'll head northeast, and you two try the southeast. Let out a loud whistle if you find him. We'll rendezvous back here in twenty minutes if no one finds him, and enlist the guests to help."
The three nodded. Cleo made sure that her air sword was in quick reach and managed a cuff to the back of Pahn's head. He swore at her in reply, as anxious as they about their lost charge. Gremio made their apologies to Marie and fingered the handle of his ever-present hatchet, hoping the Young Master wasn't in a situation where it would be needed. He felt ashamed that they had failed Master Teo's trust in them for even a moment.
Please, let it only be for this moment! Let the Young Master be safe!
Cleo was scanning the landscape around them as Gremio alternated his gaze from the ground in search of small footprints to the path ahead of them, straining his eyes to catch any glimpse of the boy. "Young Master! YOUNG MASTER!!!! Can you hear me?!" he yelled, then listened closely. Nothing.
"We'll find him, Gremio," Cleo tried to assure him.
Gremio nodded, not allowing his thoughts to follow any other path as they continued hiking along the plains. The pair came to the top of another hill, and gazed around the sea of grass that surrounded them. Gremio looked around desperately for the Young Master's little black headscarf, but couldn't see any trace of him. Even Sonya had disappeared from view while on her own search.
"YOUNG MASTER!!!!" he called again. "Are you h-hurt?! We're not m-mad at you, so p-please come out if you're just hiding!"
"Don't make Gremio worry!" Cleo added in a loud voice, but the only reply was the wind rustling the grass around them.
"M-maybe Lady Sonya will have found him," Gremio babbled nervously. "Or another guest. I couldn't bear it if something t-terrible has happened. If it has, I will offer m-my very life to Master Teo as punishment-"
"Stop it, Gremio! Get a hold of yourself!" Cleo scolded him, looking like she wanted to give him a cuff to the head as well but instead settling for a few shakes to his shoulders. "Why do you think that Master Teo would want you to do that?"
"Because I will have failed his trust. His and Mistress Kira's," Gremio answered sadly. Cleo shook her head at him and pulled on his sleeve as a signal to keep searching. Gremio obeyed, moving faster in his fears for the little boy. It had only been a few days ago that he had made his promise, and he couldn't bear to dishonor Mistress Kira's memory so soon...
Cleo came out of Mistress Kira's room, a few tears running down her cheeks. "The Mistress wants to see you now, Gremio," she said softly.
Gremio nodded and rose from a nearby chair, his muscles creaking at the movement after his long vigil. Cleo gave him a little pat on the shoulder as he smiled at her in thanks and entered.
Kira was curled up in the bed, looking wan and pale under the burgundy covers. Only once before had he seen her so weak and in so much pain, the day that she had given birth to the Young Master. This time illness had wracked her body, bringing as its only gift a serene acceptance of her fate.
"Gremio..." There was a world of emotion in the single word.
Gremio came to take her hand, bowing his head to hide his tears. "Mistress Kira, why? There are other doctors in other lands! Perhaps the City-State, or even Harmonia-"
Her laugh was a slight breeze stirring delicate wind chimes as she patted his hand reassuringly. "Gremio, you know better than that. This is my time, and I have no regrets."
"What about the Young Master?" Gremio demanded. "He needs his mother! And Master Teo-"
Kira smiled. "Even in your own distress, you think first of my family. I will always be there in their hearts, to love and advise them. In yours, too, if you wish it. But, there is something I must ask you."
"Anything, Mistress," Gremio promised, kneeling by her bedside.
"Teo will survive, but he will do so best by throwing himself into his work for this land. He will need help in raising our son, and will need to know that there are others he can entrust our boy to when that duty calls. Please, Gremio..." Her voice was growing weaker, and she struggled to get out the next words. "Please, take care of him... for me. If not you, then... someone you can trust."
"Of course I will, Mistress," Gremio swore wholeheartedly. "I'll talk about you all the time, and tell him above all how much you love him."
Tears welled up in Kira's eyes, and her smile now bore a trace of relief. "I...thank you...Gremio. You've always...been so....good to... me. Like... a son...Send in...the rest of...my family?"
Gremio understood what she wasn't saying. He gave her hand a small squeeze, as he had done when at her side during the Young Master's birth, then bent down and gave her a little peck on the forehead. It was all he could do to show his love and admiration for this woman he had gladly served for years, and was now saying good-bye to for all time.
Kira ran a hand over his cheek affectionately, as she often did to the Young Master, and bid him good-bye. As Gremio left to carry out her wishes, he stopped for a moment in the doorway for one last glance. Even in her tears there was love, contentment, and even joy that her family would be well cared for and loved in her absence. It was something he wouldn't fully understand for many years, until he would accompany his Young Master to the grim prison of Soniere.
"You really think that the Mistress would want you to die instead of being there to protect the Young Master?" Cleo asked. "That doesn't sound like the Mistress Kira I knew."
"I suppose not," Gremio admitted. "But we must find him!"
Cleo suddenly spotted something in the grass- a little black headscarf. Wordlessly, she scooped it up and tucked it into a pocket as Gremio set a faster pace down the path. Both drew their weapons and kept silent, though Gremio's heart was pounding like a rapid-fire sledgehammer in his chest. It didn't matter what they would face, as long as the Young Master was safe.
Loud grunts, snorts, and squealings were carried to them on the breeze, the unmistakable sounds of a pack of wild boars. Skittish when alone, they could be nasty in a group and would gang up on unwary travelers. Cleo groaned slightly as Gremio broke into a run, but followed suit.
Crossing another rise, Gremio's heart almost stopped. A group of about eight soot-colored, bristly creatures surrounded the Young Master. His father's son even at this age, he was curled up in a fetal position with his hands protectively covering his head. "YOUNG MASTER!!" Gremio screamed as Cleo jammed two fingers into her mouth to let out an ear-splitting whistle to Sonya or Pahn. The Young Master looked up, his eyes teary at the sight of his protectors.
Whether it was Gremio's shout or Cleo's whistle that annoyed the boars more, it was impossible to tell. Part of the pack stayed around the little boy, while a pair rushed Gremio and Cleo with battle squeals. Gremio immediately lunged for the one at the right, dodging the tusks and using his hatchet to open a huge gash down its side as it ran by. It screamed its death throes as Gremio slammed it with his shoulder to free his hatchet and chopped at the one to the left. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Cleo let fly with her air sword to finish off the second one.
The remaining boars snorted at the sight of their defeated brethren, pacing in front of the Young Master nervously and a bit wary of attacking their capable foes. "If they all charge us, or if any hurt the Young Master, it's over," Cleo whispered, taking a fresh grip on her blade. "I'll distract them from a distance if you go retrieve the Young Master, and we'll make a run for it."
Gremio nodded, not wanting to gamble his charge's life on when reinforcements may or may not arrive. He moved slowly in a wide arc around the boars, being careful not to spook them in any way. One looked to be considering attacking him, but Cleo's sword whizzed right in front of his snout, and he thought better of it. Gremio kept moving, his eyes on the Young Master, trying to project assurance that everything would be all right.
With an angry squeal, another pair suddenly rushed him. One of them looked to be the king of this pack, and was coming faster than Gremio could have believed. Even a wound from Cleo made him only snort and shake it off without slowing down. Desperation lent Gremio speed as he barely managed to get his hatchet up in time to wound it in the belly. The steel blade had been driven in deeply, and the boar retreated too swiftly for him to reclaim it. The other boar, unnoticed until now, squealed and tackled Gremio to the ground in his distraction. Gremio tried to throw it off and failed, then scrabbled his hand over the ground around him for anything that might help.
The boar screamed as Cleo's sword found a mark, but then tossed its head angrily and prepared to gore the trapped blond youth. Finally, Gremio's fingers closed over a large rock, and he slammed it into the boar's snout with everything he had. The boar suddenly stiffened, and slowly fell onto its side.
Cleo came to meet him, retrieving her sword. "Are you all right?" she asked in concern.
Gremio nodded and rose, dusting off his black cape. "Yes, I was just taken by surprise," he admitted, then his eyes trailed over to the others. The injured king boar, maddened at his wounded state, had chosen a more defenseless victim for his revenge- he was charging the Young Master.
Gremio was off like a shot. Shoving the other boars away with his bare hands, ignoring Cleo's scream of warning, he leaped to cover the Young Master with his own body. White-hot fire lashed his cheek as twice the boar's tusks grazed him, and pain exploded in other parts of his body as more blows landed. He could feel the Young Master struggling to get free, but he could not allow anything to happen to the boy, no matter what.
Cleo and Pahn had often joked that Gremio was only happy when worrying about the Young Master, and now Gremio realized that this was true. He had helped care for him since the day that Kira had given birth. He had come to love the Young Master as himself, as a boy with his father's intelligence and his mother's compassion and his own heart. A boy that would bring a lot of good into the lives of others, and one that he would gladly keep safe at the expense of his own life. Gremio's own heart had made its promise long before Mistress Kira had asked it of him.
"Gremio! The slope behind you!" Cleo shouted, sending her blade flying again and again at the creatures to finish off or wound as many as possible. Gremio raised his head slightly and realized that only feet behind him was a fairly steep hill-slope. He would be able to roll down it, and perhaps the remaining boars would not be able to follow them.
A blunt skull met his in a headbutt, and Gremio gasped as stars seemed to explode behind his eyelids. The Young Master whimpered in fear for the blond youth, but Gremio gritted his teeth and managed to crawl towards the slope that Cleo had suggested, keeping the little boy safely covered with his cape. Tucking his body around that of his charge, he rolled just as another boar started after them.
Swiftly the pair went flying down in a tight ball. Shrubs scratched and roots whipped at them, but did little to impede their progress. When they came to a rest on the bottom at last, Gremio lay dazed and barely clinging to consciousness after his head injury. He didn't hear the war cries of Pahn or the lightning blazing from the heavens that Sonya called on as they joined Cleo. All he knew was that they were safe for the moment. "Y-young m-master..." he murmured.
Without letting go of his charge, Gremio finally slipped into unconsciousness.
Dr. Liukan came out of one of the McDohl mansion's many guest rooms, a reassuring smile on his face as he faced a worried crowd. "The young fool got himself bashed in the head, but he'll make a good recovery. He'll probably be very sore for a few days, and those scratches on his cheek are so deep that they may scar, but overall he's very lucky."
"Thank you, doctor. I am sorry that I had to call on you on such an occasion," Teo remarked grimly.
"Not at all, Master Teo. Fool or not, that is one very devoted servant," Dr. Liukan replied.
Teo nodded, his face thoughtful. Cleo and Pahn looked relieved, while Sonya's face was a study of relief mixed with a slight hint of jealousy that she had not been the one to find and rescue the boy.
"You may go in and see him for a few minutes. I'll be over in the morning to follow up," Dr. Liukan added.
Teo thanked him warmly and shook his hand before the doctor left. Sonya offered to go inform the concerned funeral guests of Gremio's condition. Finally, Teo and the others went to go check on Gremio for themselves.
A white bandage was firmly taped to his left cheek, and a few more were wrapped around his forehead. His bare chest above the blankets was daubed with healing medicines and more bandages. Bruises decorated chest and arms alike. His eyes were closed, and he was mumbling under his breath.
"Gremio?" Teo asked kindly.
Gremio's eyes flew open, and his gaze flitted around like an anxious hummingbird until it landed on the Young Master. Then he visibly relaxed.
"Yes, my son is safe. Thanks to you, and the two of you and Sonya as well. I am a very lucky man to have such loyal friends," Teo stated.
Pahn flushed a little, but Cleo had very conveniently left out the part where Pahn had lost track of the boy in her tale to Teo. The Young Master suddenly dashed up to Gremio, giving him a hug and burying his tearing face in the blanket. Touched, Gremio hugged him back, ignoring the bruises that were screaming at the contact.
"We had to peel your fingers off of him one by one. You wouldn't let go for anything," Cleo remarked, amused.
"And I never will," Gremio replied sincerely.
"I have realized that, and want to ask you all something. Would the three of you be willing to permanently join my household? With Kira gone, I want my son to continue to know the love of a family, and he will need looking after as well. Will you protect him in the times that I cannot?" Teo asked formally.
"Always," Cleo assured him.
"Gremio's cooking comes with the job, right?" Pahn asked, and Cleo poked him. "I mean, you can count on me, Master Teo."
"Through life and death and beyond, Master Teo," Gremio promised.
Teo smiled, his eyes a little misty despite himself. "Good. Get some good rest, Gremio- I'll be needing you all." He went to scoop up his son and return to his guests.
"Get back on your feet soon," Cleo added before leaving.
"Take it easy until then," Pahn remarked, closing the door behind him.
Gremio smiled and closed his eyes to drift off once more. Mistress Kira's voice came to him one last time- "You see, Gremio, a gardener has to prepare the soil, water and fertilize the plants, and take them inside if it's going to freeze, but that's all. The plant has to do the growing all by itself."
I'll enjoy watching what kind of man you grow up to be, Young Master, and I will always be there to protect you.
Spoiler warning- if you've started Suikoden but haven't gotten past Soniere yet.
To be wise is not to depart from joy, but to see instead its many sides- Alyssa, Ancestors of Avalon, Diana Paxson
A single ray of sunshine touched the stark black ensemble of the group of mourners. Just outside of the city of Gregminster to the east lay its cemetery, on a windswept hill planted with flowers and shady trees. A few bright birds swooped for insects, looking quizzically at the solemn procession and their tears before going back to their meal.
Leading the train of solemn folk was Master Teo McDohl, looking older than his years in grief. His dark eyes were sunken with exhaustion and lined with pain. His five year old son held his hand tightly, keeping his face up and trying to wink back tears. On his other side was his best sword pupil and good friend, Sonya Shulen. Her blue eyes were filled with compassion and a pain that matched his own, and she occasionally reached out to touch his shoulder reassuringly.
Walking just behind them were the three youths that served in the McDohl home. Cleo and Pahn had only been there since the Mistress had become ill, but Gremio had served the family since before the Young Master had been born. He walked with his head down, his slashing blond bangs not quite hiding the tears that were streaming down in rivers. Mistress Kira McDohl had been like a mother to him, as Master Teo had been a father, and he felt as lost as the Young Master today. Cleo and Pahn had been a mountain of support, to the point that Pahn had said nothing about being hungry yet today.
Stretching out far behind them were Teo's associates in the military, shopkeepers, innkeepers, and most of the citizens of Gregminster. Kira had been known and loved many years for her soft heart and generosity to their neighbors, and her loss had come as a terrible blow to many of them. Many were thinking of the many occasions when she had brought gifts of food, flowers, and conversation during their own times of illness.
On the very top of the hill was the resting place for the lady they had come to honor. Planted at the front of the dove gray headstone were blossoming bluebells. As the rest of the group began to arrive for the ceremony, Gremio stared at the flowers. Their sweet scent on the wind carried his memory back through the years....
A bright-eyed, brown-haired woman knelt in her garden just outside the McDohl manor, busily weeding a plot of land. A blond kid brought her a cup of tea with a serious expression on his face. "Here you are, Mistess. Master Teo says you need to remember to rest," Gremio said, echoing Teo's sternness.
Kira laughed merrily and sat back on her heels, then affectionately ran one hand over her very pregnant belly. "Teo's such a dear, but he doesn't need to worry. A garden is a place of healing and peace." She removed her dirty gardening gloves, then accepted the cup and inhaled the sweet aroma gratefully. "But thank you, Gremio. You're too good to me."
Embarrassed, Gremio ducked his head and sat down next to her. "What are you going to plant here, Mistress?"
"Bluebells," Kira explained, pointing to a set of planters already brimming with fragrant blue blooms. "You see, Gremio, a gardener has to prepare the soil, water and fertilize the plants, and take them inside if it's going to freeze, but that's all. The plant has to do the growing all by itself."
"But what about protecting it? What if it rains too much, or not enough?" Gremio asked curiously, concerned for the fragile plants that Kira had coaxed from seeds.
"You do all you can, but remember that some things are out of your hands," Kira answered serenely.
Gremio didn't understand that, as busy as Kira always was in her garden, but didn't say so. Instead, he went for his hatchet and started chopping wood chips for Kira to use as mulch while she continued weeding. He'd gotten only one basket ready for her when a voice called him from the house to come in for his lessons.
"I'll see you later, Mistress Kira," Gremio said apologetically, setting the basket near her and his hatchet back on the woodpile.
"Wait." Kira reached over to her plants and plucked a single blossom to hand to him. "Give this to your teacher. Sometimes a single flower is enough to make someone's day a little brighter."
"Thank you, Mistress," Gremio replied, accepting the blossom and running off. Kira smiled, patted her belly in pride, and got back to work weeding.
The casket was closed and draped with flower garlands of all colors. A large portrait of Kira was on a nearby table that held more flowers donated by Gregminster's citizens. The people were gathering around the gravesite, giving their consolations to Teo and asking if the Young Master was being a good boy for his father. Although Teo answered politely, the Young Master only looked bewildered and tongue-tied. Gremio's heart went out to him, and he was very grateful when Teo excused their group to head towards the casket for the eulogy.
Kira's brother Rolf went to the front of the crowd, then cleared his throat to catch everyone's attention. With great care, he removed a piece of paper from his jacket pocket and began to read a poem that Kira had composed many years back.
Seeds of dust, planted among the womb of the earth.
Drops of sustenance, fire of sun.
A new life pushing itself into existence.
Slender stems, swaying under the summery sky.
Displaying the blossoms and fruits, their lives' work.
The first frosts of fall.
The fruits are gathered, to pass on their life to others.
The stems fall to earth, return to their true home as dust,
and sleep under winter's downy blanket, content.
"I think we can all agree that Kira had her own way of doing things," Rolf stated as he put the paper away, and the crowd let out a light chuckle of agreement. A slight smile appeared on Gremio's face as he nodded. "A few weeks ago, Kira told me that she wanted a different kind of funeral. Instead of a long, boring eulogy that no one would be interested in hearing, she wished her friends and family to come up and share happy memories of their times together."
Those gathered looked at each other in astonishment, with the more conservative ones pursing their lips in disapproval and the ones closer to Kira smiling as they thought back to different tales to share.
Kira's mother came forward to tell a funny story about Kira not giving up when first learning to walk. A teacher came up to describe how Kira would secretly stay outside longer at lunch to walk through the gardens. Marie regaled them with how Kira came to visit when she had been very ill, bringing her a fresh bouquet of flowers every week. Teo told of the day they had met.
Gremio's eyes trailed down to the Young Master standing next to him, and he smiled at the pride that glowed through the tears in the little boy's eyes. He laid a gentle hand on the boy's shoulder as a childhood friend of Kira told about the time they had sneaked into the nobles' gardens to examine their flowers.
"Master Teo, why don't you tell us about the day that yours and Kira's pride and joy was born?" Rolf suggested.
Teo turned a little red. "Well, actually...Gremio might be a better one than I, as he was there the whole time," he admitted.
"Gremio, then. Come up here and tell us how it went," Rolf requested. Roars of agreement arose from the folk around them.
Gremio flushed a brilliant scarlet and stepped back a few paces, his hands clenching his black cape as if he wished to hide in it. "N-n-n-no, I couldn't p-p-p-possibly..." he stammered.
The crowd began chanting his name, and Pahn wickedly gave the blond youth a shove forward. Gremio dug in his heels stubbornly, until a small hand tugged on his cape. The Young Master looked up at him entreatingly, then towards his uncle. Gremio sighed reluctantly, not wanting to hurt or embarrass him on a day that was so difficult already, and went to stand by the casket.
The sweet scent of flowers was even stronger here, and for a moment Gremio could feel Kira's laughing spirit near him. "Go ahead," he could almost hear her saying.
Licking dry lips, his gaze back on the Young Master who now wore a smile on his tear-streaked face, he told the tale.
Teo was panicked the day that his beloved wife finally went into labor. He knew how to lead a cavalry, had memorized an encyclopedia's worth of strategy and tactics, and had heard of every move in swordplay documented from the Island Nations to Harmonia. However, this was clearly out of his league.
The midwife Jari, rumored to have been a student of Dr. Liukan himself, was as capable at handling nervous fathers-to-be as the mothers-to-be. "Teo, stay out of the way. Go to the inn for a drink and calm down a little," she began, pushing him out of the house. Before he knew what had happened, the door had slammed in his face. Next, Jari turned to Gremio. "Can you get a pot of tea going while my assistant and I take care of Kira?"
"Yes, ma'am!" Gremio agreed enthusiastically.
"'Atta boy," Jari remarked in approval, ruffling his hair before she and her helper went to go see to their patient.
As Gremio fetched some fresh water and began to set it to heat, he heard moans and odd noises coming from the Mistress' bedroom. He had no idea what was considered 'normal' or what was dangerous, but he reminded himself that Jari was Gregminster's best midwife. Master Teo wouldn't have allowed anyone less to care for his wife, and he had to have faith in Master Teo's judgment.
As the water began to boil, the moans and cries came to a crescendo. Gremio was just adding the herbs when Jari's assistant came flying down the stairs. "How is Mistress Kira?" he asked desperately.
The assistant left without a word, apparently on a mission of the highest importance.
Gremio's brows knitted together in concern. Jari was the best...wasn't she? His fist clenched, and he finished the tea and brought it up to the room where his beloved mistress was in such agony. If Master Teo wasn't here to make sure that Jari was doing everything possible, then it was his duty to be there instead!
His heart began galloping like a terrorized colt as the cries turned into screams. He hesitated for only a second, then entered the room without knocking. Jari looked up, her brown eyes plainly worried. A sheet draped over Kira's lower body was heavily spotted with blood, and Kira herself was pale and sweating with pain and effort. "Mistress!" Gremio cried out. She didn't answer, but only screamed once more.
Jari moved to take the tea that he had brewed, then paused. Indecision was clear on her features as she stared at him, then at her charge. Finally, she nodded. "Can you be brave for me, Gremio? Can you stay here and help me?"
"Tell me what to do!" Gremio begged, wanting to do something for the woman who had always treated him as a son.
"Hold her hand and talk to her. Encourage her. Wipe the sweat from her head with a cool cloth. Remind her about the wonderful little child she's about to bring into the world," Jari replied briskly, and went back to the area covered by the sheet.
"Okay!" Gremio answered, and went up to Kira's side. He took her hand, squeezing it gently to let her know that he was there for her. A small squeeze of acknowledgment came in return, then a large one as Kira moaned in pain.
"You're going to have a little baby, Mistress Kira. A little heir or heiress for Master Teo. He's going to be so proud of you," Gremio said softly. He found a clean washcloth and used it to gently wipe the sweat dribbling down her face.
Kira's gray eyes were cloudy with exhaustion and fear. "No... I can't do it... something's wrong..." she moaned.
"He or she is stubborn, Kira, but it's nothing that we can't fix. You have to help me!" Jari ordered.
"I...can't..." was the weak reply.
A sudden surge of protectiveness welled up in Gremio's heart. She had cared for him all this time, treating him more like a son than a servant. Now it was his turn to take care of her. Not as a servant, but as a man. "You can!" he cried out, surprising them both with his conviction. "Your seeds, Mistess- you've always fought for their lives! You weed them, you water them, and you cover them in a storm." He squeezed her hand, willing her to feel the strength of his love for her. "You can bring this one to the sunlight, too!"
"I... I can do it," Kira agreed breathlessly.
"Okay, Kira, let's go!" Jari called encouragingly.
Kira clenched her eyes shut and steeled herself for the next push. Gremio yelped as she squeezed his hand, but refused to move. "Ahhh....my baby....come....live... ahhhhhhhh!" Kira shrieked, then collapsed against her pillows as a lusty cry pierced the air.
"It's a boy!" Jari announced. Kira smiled in triumph, exhausted tears trickling down her cheeks. In no time at all, a blanket-wrapped bundle was gently placed in Kira's waiting arms. Gremio leaned over to get a close look at the new Young Master as Kira took a tiny little hand in hers.
His head was covered with a black shock of hair, and he was quite small. Gremio had never seen eyes like his, so filled with hope and innocence and strength. "He's so beautiful," he commented softly.
"What's the lad's name?" Jari asked curiously.
"Teo and I decided that his name would be-" Kira began.
More wails came from the tiny infant, and Jari laughed. "You can tell me later- I think you'll find this one to be quite a talker," she remarked. "Well, I think mother and child both need their rest. Gremio, how would you like to give him his first bath?"
Gremio glanced at Kira, who nodded in complete trust. Carefully, Gremio took the small miracle from her arms and went to the small basin that Jari had already prepared. The midwife herself went to make sure Kira was made comfortable.
As gently as if he were washing fragile glass, Gremio cleaned up the boy. As the warm water touched his body, the little one quieted in astonishment. Carefully, Gremio let a trickle of water run over the dark hair, and he would swear that the baby boy had a smile in his eyes.
"Young Master," he murmured. "My Young Master. I'm going to take such good care of you."
The baby gurgled in reply, and Gremio laughed.
Master Teo didn't seem to begrudge Gremio the honor of telling of his son's birth- in fact, he even gave him a warm clap on the shoulder as they listened to the rest of the unconventional eulogy.
After the stories, the dinner was served up for the guests. Neither Gremio nor Cleo had much of an appetite, and instead were helping Marie and the other cooks from the city's inn. Pahn had offered to keep an eye on the Young Master as they ate, but neither of the two was fooled at his 'altruism'. The martial artist took a heaping plate for himself, a smaller one for his charge, and went to go sit with Master Teo and his old friend Ain Gide.
"Everyone looks rather spectacular for wearing black, don't you think?" Milich Oppenheimer asked, coming through the line and surveying the crowd with a criticizing eye.
Cleo managed to bite her tongue while Gremio smiled politely. He knew the cream of Gregminster society looked to Milich for fashion advice, but had not yet discovered why. "I am sure Master Teo is grateful for your efforts in arranging mourning attire," he replied instead, handing over a bowl of his special stew.
Milich studied Gremio for a moment, his expression that of a man who had just taken a huge bite out of a lemon when expecting an orange. "My dear boy, that cape does NOTHING for you! Perhaps a suitable hat, adorned with orange and blue roses..." His own hat was a dyed black silk, festooned with yards of black lace and a single black rose, and he patted it as proudly as a strutting peacock.
By this time, Cleo was coughing to cover the snorts of laughter attempting to break out, and a concerned Marie patted her strongly on the back. "I-I'm afraid there are m-more people in line, Master Milich. M-maybe another time?" Gremio suggested half-heartedly, grateful that at least Pahn was sitting out of earshot.
"Yes, of course. Come see me for a fashion consultation sometime soon- I only have your best interests at heart!" Milich assured him, and continued down the line for dessert from Marie.
Sonya, who was next in line, rolled her eyes at him after Milich turned his head. "What an idiot. How are you doing, Gremio?" she asked kindly.
"I will be all right, Lady Sonya. I am more worried about Master Teo and the Young Master," Gremio answered.
"Master Teo is hurting, but he is staying strong for his son. Such a fine man..." Sonya trailed off, gazing at her mentor, then turned back to Gremio. "That was an amazing story, you being there at the birth."
"That's why Young Master follows you around like a duckling," Cleo teased, and even Sonya cracked a smile at that. Gremio flushed, half in embarrassment and half in pride, when Pahn suddenly came up to the group. There was a hint of panic in his eyes.
"You...uh, you haven't...Young Master didn't come up here for food, did he?" he asked, his tone overly casual.
"Pahn....?" Cleo asked suspiciously. Gremio felt a sinking feeling in his stomach.
"He's gone. I only left him for a minute to get seconds," Pahn explained defensively. Everyone stared at him in disbelief, and he reddened under their gaze. "I didn't know that Master Teo and Master Ain Gide had gone to Master Kasim's table!"
"Pahn, you idiot! How could you lose him today?" Cleo snapped, her eyes flashing.
"It's not my fault! I told you.." Pahn began heatedly.
Gremio felt sick with worry. They were outside of the protected walls of Gregminster. There were monsters around, or he could get lost in the crowd! Maybe some political enemies of their home were here today, waiting for a chance like this! When the Young Master was alone, lost, and in grief! "We-we have to find him right away! There's not a m-moment to lose!"
"Pahn, where did you see him last?" Sonya asked coolly. She had a natural flair for command and a calm head in a crisis, likely gifts that she had picked up from Master Teo along with her sword skills.
"He was sitting in his chair, right there," Pahn replied, pointing. The table he had been sitting at was the farthest one out under the expansive tent. Beyond it lay only the great plains that stretched all the way to Rockland.
"Go among the crowd, and look for him discreetly. If anyone sees him, they'll remember that you were watching him and bring him back to you," Sonya reasoned, then turned to Cleo and Gremio. "Meanwhile, we'll split up and search the plains if he took off to be alone. I'll head northeast, and you two try the southeast. Let out a loud whistle if you find him. We'll rendezvous back here in twenty minutes if no one finds him, and enlist the guests to help."
The three nodded. Cleo made sure that her air sword was in quick reach and managed a cuff to the back of Pahn's head. He swore at her in reply, as anxious as they about their lost charge. Gremio made their apologies to Marie and fingered the handle of his ever-present hatchet, hoping the Young Master wasn't in a situation where it would be needed. He felt ashamed that they had failed Master Teo's trust in them for even a moment.
Please, let it only be for this moment! Let the Young Master be safe!
Cleo was scanning the landscape around them as Gremio alternated his gaze from the ground in search of small footprints to the path ahead of them, straining his eyes to catch any glimpse of the boy. "Young Master! YOUNG MASTER!!!! Can you hear me?!" he yelled, then listened closely. Nothing.
"We'll find him, Gremio," Cleo tried to assure him.
Gremio nodded, not allowing his thoughts to follow any other path as they continued hiking along the plains. The pair came to the top of another hill, and gazed around the sea of grass that surrounded them. Gremio looked around desperately for the Young Master's little black headscarf, but couldn't see any trace of him. Even Sonya had disappeared from view while on her own search.
"YOUNG MASTER!!!!" he called again. "Are you h-hurt?! We're not m-mad at you, so p-please come out if you're just hiding!"
"Don't make Gremio worry!" Cleo added in a loud voice, but the only reply was the wind rustling the grass around them.
"M-maybe Lady Sonya will have found him," Gremio babbled nervously. "Or another guest. I couldn't bear it if something t-terrible has happened. If it has, I will offer m-my very life to Master Teo as punishment-"
"Stop it, Gremio! Get a hold of yourself!" Cleo scolded him, looking like she wanted to give him a cuff to the head as well but instead settling for a few shakes to his shoulders. "Why do you think that Master Teo would want you to do that?"
"Because I will have failed his trust. His and Mistress Kira's," Gremio answered sadly. Cleo shook her head at him and pulled on his sleeve as a signal to keep searching. Gremio obeyed, moving faster in his fears for the little boy. It had only been a few days ago that he had made his promise, and he couldn't bear to dishonor Mistress Kira's memory so soon...
Cleo came out of Mistress Kira's room, a few tears running down her cheeks. "The Mistress wants to see you now, Gremio," she said softly.
Gremio nodded and rose from a nearby chair, his muscles creaking at the movement after his long vigil. Cleo gave him a little pat on the shoulder as he smiled at her in thanks and entered.
Kira was curled up in the bed, looking wan and pale under the burgundy covers. Only once before had he seen her so weak and in so much pain, the day that she had given birth to the Young Master. This time illness had wracked her body, bringing as its only gift a serene acceptance of her fate.
"Gremio..." There was a world of emotion in the single word.
Gremio came to take her hand, bowing his head to hide his tears. "Mistress Kira, why? There are other doctors in other lands! Perhaps the City-State, or even Harmonia-"
Her laugh was a slight breeze stirring delicate wind chimes as she patted his hand reassuringly. "Gremio, you know better than that. This is my time, and I have no regrets."
"What about the Young Master?" Gremio demanded. "He needs his mother! And Master Teo-"
Kira smiled. "Even in your own distress, you think first of my family. I will always be there in their hearts, to love and advise them. In yours, too, if you wish it. But, there is something I must ask you."
"Anything, Mistress," Gremio promised, kneeling by her bedside.
"Teo will survive, but he will do so best by throwing himself into his work for this land. He will need help in raising our son, and will need to know that there are others he can entrust our boy to when that duty calls. Please, Gremio..." Her voice was growing weaker, and she struggled to get out the next words. "Please, take care of him... for me. If not you, then... someone you can trust."
"Of course I will, Mistress," Gremio swore wholeheartedly. "I'll talk about you all the time, and tell him above all how much you love him."
Tears welled up in Kira's eyes, and her smile now bore a trace of relief. "I...thank you...Gremio. You've always...been so....good to... me. Like... a son...Send in...the rest of...my family?"
Gremio understood what she wasn't saying. He gave her hand a small squeeze, as he had done when at her side during the Young Master's birth, then bent down and gave her a little peck on the forehead. It was all he could do to show his love and admiration for this woman he had gladly served for years, and was now saying good-bye to for all time.
Kira ran a hand over his cheek affectionately, as she often did to the Young Master, and bid him good-bye. As Gremio left to carry out her wishes, he stopped for a moment in the doorway for one last glance. Even in her tears there was love, contentment, and even joy that her family would be well cared for and loved in her absence. It was something he wouldn't fully understand for many years, until he would accompany his Young Master to the grim prison of Soniere.
"You really think that the Mistress would want you to die instead of being there to protect the Young Master?" Cleo asked. "That doesn't sound like the Mistress Kira I knew."
"I suppose not," Gremio admitted. "But we must find him!"
Cleo suddenly spotted something in the grass- a little black headscarf. Wordlessly, she scooped it up and tucked it into a pocket as Gremio set a faster pace down the path. Both drew their weapons and kept silent, though Gremio's heart was pounding like a rapid-fire sledgehammer in his chest. It didn't matter what they would face, as long as the Young Master was safe.
Loud grunts, snorts, and squealings were carried to them on the breeze, the unmistakable sounds of a pack of wild boars. Skittish when alone, they could be nasty in a group and would gang up on unwary travelers. Cleo groaned slightly as Gremio broke into a run, but followed suit.
Crossing another rise, Gremio's heart almost stopped. A group of about eight soot-colored, bristly creatures surrounded the Young Master. His father's son even at this age, he was curled up in a fetal position with his hands protectively covering his head. "YOUNG MASTER!!" Gremio screamed as Cleo jammed two fingers into her mouth to let out an ear-splitting whistle to Sonya or Pahn. The Young Master looked up, his eyes teary at the sight of his protectors.
Whether it was Gremio's shout or Cleo's whistle that annoyed the boars more, it was impossible to tell. Part of the pack stayed around the little boy, while a pair rushed Gremio and Cleo with battle squeals. Gremio immediately lunged for the one at the right, dodging the tusks and using his hatchet to open a huge gash down its side as it ran by. It screamed its death throes as Gremio slammed it with his shoulder to free his hatchet and chopped at the one to the left. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Cleo let fly with her air sword to finish off the second one.
The remaining boars snorted at the sight of their defeated brethren, pacing in front of the Young Master nervously and a bit wary of attacking their capable foes. "If they all charge us, or if any hurt the Young Master, it's over," Cleo whispered, taking a fresh grip on her blade. "I'll distract them from a distance if you go retrieve the Young Master, and we'll make a run for it."
Gremio nodded, not wanting to gamble his charge's life on when reinforcements may or may not arrive. He moved slowly in a wide arc around the boars, being careful not to spook them in any way. One looked to be considering attacking him, but Cleo's sword whizzed right in front of his snout, and he thought better of it. Gremio kept moving, his eyes on the Young Master, trying to project assurance that everything would be all right.
With an angry squeal, another pair suddenly rushed him. One of them looked to be the king of this pack, and was coming faster than Gremio could have believed. Even a wound from Cleo made him only snort and shake it off without slowing down. Desperation lent Gremio speed as he barely managed to get his hatchet up in time to wound it in the belly. The steel blade had been driven in deeply, and the boar retreated too swiftly for him to reclaim it. The other boar, unnoticed until now, squealed and tackled Gremio to the ground in his distraction. Gremio tried to throw it off and failed, then scrabbled his hand over the ground around him for anything that might help.
The boar screamed as Cleo's sword found a mark, but then tossed its head angrily and prepared to gore the trapped blond youth. Finally, Gremio's fingers closed over a large rock, and he slammed it into the boar's snout with everything he had. The boar suddenly stiffened, and slowly fell onto its side.
Cleo came to meet him, retrieving her sword. "Are you all right?" she asked in concern.
Gremio nodded and rose, dusting off his black cape. "Yes, I was just taken by surprise," he admitted, then his eyes trailed over to the others. The injured king boar, maddened at his wounded state, had chosen a more defenseless victim for his revenge- he was charging the Young Master.
Gremio was off like a shot. Shoving the other boars away with his bare hands, ignoring Cleo's scream of warning, he leaped to cover the Young Master with his own body. White-hot fire lashed his cheek as twice the boar's tusks grazed him, and pain exploded in other parts of his body as more blows landed. He could feel the Young Master struggling to get free, but he could not allow anything to happen to the boy, no matter what.
Cleo and Pahn had often joked that Gremio was only happy when worrying about the Young Master, and now Gremio realized that this was true. He had helped care for him since the day that Kira had given birth. He had come to love the Young Master as himself, as a boy with his father's intelligence and his mother's compassion and his own heart. A boy that would bring a lot of good into the lives of others, and one that he would gladly keep safe at the expense of his own life. Gremio's own heart had made its promise long before Mistress Kira had asked it of him.
"Gremio! The slope behind you!" Cleo shouted, sending her blade flying again and again at the creatures to finish off or wound as many as possible. Gremio raised his head slightly and realized that only feet behind him was a fairly steep hill-slope. He would be able to roll down it, and perhaps the remaining boars would not be able to follow them.
A blunt skull met his in a headbutt, and Gremio gasped as stars seemed to explode behind his eyelids. The Young Master whimpered in fear for the blond youth, but Gremio gritted his teeth and managed to crawl towards the slope that Cleo had suggested, keeping the little boy safely covered with his cape. Tucking his body around that of his charge, he rolled just as another boar started after them.
Swiftly the pair went flying down in a tight ball. Shrubs scratched and roots whipped at them, but did little to impede their progress. When they came to a rest on the bottom at last, Gremio lay dazed and barely clinging to consciousness after his head injury. He didn't hear the war cries of Pahn or the lightning blazing from the heavens that Sonya called on as they joined Cleo. All he knew was that they were safe for the moment. "Y-young m-master..." he murmured.
Without letting go of his charge, Gremio finally slipped into unconsciousness.
Dr. Liukan came out of one of the McDohl mansion's many guest rooms, a reassuring smile on his face as he faced a worried crowd. "The young fool got himself bashed in the head, but he'll make a good recovery. He'll probably be very sore for a few days, and those scratches on his cheek are so deep that they may scar, but overall he's very lucky."
"Thank you, doctor. I am sorry that I had to call on you on such an occasion," Teo remarked grimly.
"Not at all, Master Teo. Fool or not, that is one very devoted servant," Dr. Liukan replied.
Teo nodded, his face thoughtful. Cleo and Pahn looked relieved, while Sonya's face was a study of relief mixed with a slight hint of jealousy that she had not been the one to find and rescue the boy.
"You may go in and see him for a few minutes. I'll be over in the morning to follow up," Dr. Liukan added.
Teo thanked him warmly and shook his hand before the doctor left. Sonya offered to go inform the concerned funeral guests of Gremio's condition. Finally, Teo and the others went to go check on Gremio for themselves.
A white bandage was firmly taped to his left cheek, and a few more were wrapped around his forehead. His bare chest above the blankets was daubed with healing medicines and more bandages. Bruises decorated chest and arms alike. His eyes were closed, and he was mumbling under his breath.
"Gremio?" Teo asked kindly.
Gremio's eyes flew open, and his gaze flitted around like an anxious hummingbird until it landed on the Young Master. Then he visibly relaxed.
"Yes, my son is safe. Thanks to you, and the two of you and Sonya as well. I am a very lucky man to have such loyal friends," Teo stated.
Pahn flushed a little, but Cleo had very conveniently left out the part where Pahn had lost track of the boy in her tale to Teo. The Young Master suddenly dashed up to Gremio, giving him a hug and burying his tearing face in the blanket. Touched, Gremio hugged him back, ignoring the bruises that were screaming at the contact.
"We had to peel your fingers off of him one by one. You wouldn't let go for anything," Cleo remarked, amused.
"And I never will," Gremio replied sincerely.
"I have realized that, and want to ask you all something. Would the three of you be willing to permanently join my household? With Kira gone, I want my son to continue to know the love of a family, and he will need looking after as well. Will you protect him in the times that I cannot?" Teo asked formally.
"Always," Cleo assured him.
"Gremio's cooking comes with the job, right?" Pahn asked, and Cleo poked him. "I mean, you can count on me, Master Teo."
"Through life and death and beyond, Master Teo," Gremio promised.
Teo smiled, his eyes a little misty despite himself. "Good. Get some good rest, Gremio- I'll be needing you all." He went to scoop up his son and return to his guests.
"Get back on your feet soon," Cleo added before leaving.
"Take it easy until then," Pahn remarked, closing the door behind him.
Gremio smiled and closed his eyes to drift off once more. Mistress Kira's voice came to him one last time- "You see, Gremio, a gardener has to prepare the soil, water and fertilize the plants, and take them inside if it's going to freeze, but that's all. The plant has to do the growing all by itself."
I'll enjoy watching what kind of man you grow up to be, Young Master, and I will always be there to protect you.
I'm glad I'm not the only one with a soft spot for him.