Cold, wet, and miserable, Matthew Po trudged back through the mud to his cottage.  He opened the door, his lantern swinging in his left hand.

Sally was seated at the table, still grinding her herbs.  She looked up and smiled.  “Uncle Matthew, I’m so glad you’re back,” she said, putting down her pestle and sounding relieved.

“You should’ve had the door bolted,” he said wearily.

“Sorry, but…”

A tall young man who had been seated by the fire stood.

“…we have a guest,” Sally concluded lamely.

“What can I do for you, lad?” the healer asked politely, not showing how tired he was, or how much he was hoping that why ever this apparently healthy young man was in his house had nothing to do with Sally…

Instead of replying, the boy knelt before the quilt-cocooned form curled up near the hearth.

Matthew wasn’t certain what’d tipped him off that it was a woman.  Probably the soft way the young man spoke to wake her, and how gently he touched her face with his fingertips.  As he helped her up, Matthew half-expected her to be spectacularly pregnant or something.

No, the girl was slender, pale, and, from the way she was carrying her shoulder, very injured.

            “Sir, my friend is injured and ill,” the young man said politely.

            Friend…  Right.

            “So I see.  What’s your name, Miss?” he continued, taking her arm that Zechs wasn’t holding.

            Zechs watched the healer speak quietly to Noin, and, relieved, sat back down by the hearth.  Sally walked over and seated herself beside him.

            “You don’t by any chance know how I’m going to tell my uncle that your friend is one of his Imperial Majesty’s soldiers, do you?” she asked, not making eye contact.

            “She may take care of that herself,” he contributed.

            Sally sighed.

            “Does your uncle oppose the imperial government?” Zechs asked.

            “Like I’d tell you that, even if he did,” Sally laughed.

            “I didn’t mean…”

            “Uncle Matthew is a healer.  He opposes anyone who starts wars, and treats anyone who needs his help.  He’s a good man.  It’s not so much the issue of you being imperial soldiers, so much as it is…”

            “… that she’s a woman.”

            Sally nodded.  “It would… be safer for her if she…” she trailed off.  “What she’s doing is very dangerous, and…  if nothing else, she could stay here…”

            “I’m sure she would appreciate the gesture, but this is Noin’s decision.  If it’s because of her injury, she’ll be reasonable.  But I know what she believes in…”

            “This isn’t about getting hurt in battle.  I’m sure you realize what could happen if the army found out…”  Sally prompted, looking at her hands.

            “As I said, it is her decision.  But, should she choose to stand by what she believes in, I’ll do everything in my power to protect her.”

            “And if your ‘power’ isn’t enough?” Sally demanded.

“Noin is quite good at taking care of herself.”  And of me, he added silently.

“You keep talking about ‘what she believes in,’ but you’re joining the Imperial army.  She believes in oppressing peasants?!”  Sally demanded.

Damn.

“You…aren’t really Imperial soldiers, are you?”

Damn, damn, damn.

Sally smiled.  “We heard rumors, but…”

“No, you didn’t,” Zechs interrupted quickly.  “You didn’t hear anything, you don’t know anything.”

“Of course not,” Sally beamed.

The healer approached, and Zechs reached out to shake his hand.

“Thank you very much, sir…”

“Your ‘friend’ is going to be fine this time,” Matthew Po interrupted, not taking his hand.  “She’s worried about her aim,” he said tightly.

“Noin is an excellent archer.”

“Well, I’m sure she still will be.”  He shot a quick glance at Sally.  “Could you heat up some broth for Miss Noin, please, Sally?”

Sally looked back and forth between Zechs and her uncle.  “Sure,” she said dubiously, walking out of earshot.

“I really appreciate what you’ve done…” Zechs began again.

“Look,” the healer said curtly.  “If you love that woman, take her home.”

Zechs turned red.  “I… I beg your pardon?”

“Well I don’t pardon you!  Don’t you realize how selfish you’re being, putting her in danger like that?” he continued heatedly.

“I’m afraid you misunderstand my position, sir,” Zechs said stiffly.

The healer blinked.  “You’re… not running away together?”

“No.”

“Well what the hell is going on then?” he demanded heatedly.

Zechs coughed uncomfortably.  “She saved my life, and I took an oath to protect her.”

“From what?  Her self-destructive cross-dressing tendencies?”

“Sir, I believe she’s in earshot…” Zechs said delicately.

The physician turned red as Noin pulled her arm from Sally’s grasp and approached, her face pale and her eyes a little glassy.

“Sir…haven’t you ever believed in something?  Haven’t you ever just wanted to do something, and known - known that you couldn’t stand just watching and standing by silently anymore?”

The physician looked from one serious face to another, and sighed.

“Yes…”