[center][h1][color=lightblue]Galahad Caradoc[/color][/h1]
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(The night before) 


Finding a place to camp out wasn’t [i]too[/i] difficult, after a while the sea of grasses became just that- a sea. It was easy for a group as small as theirs to disappear in such a vast area. They’d found a particularly tall portion of grasses, high enough to cover the top of the wagon, before cutting out a small clearing for them to actually rest in. The tall blades of the emerald grasses could be folded to supplement their cots, and could be cleaned and used as rudimentary bandages, or, if Galahad had any talent for it, be used to be weaved into baskets and the like.

A fire would’ve been good for morale, but the smoke would allow anyone to spot them from miles away in the cloudless night, and so Team Kirin ate their meal in the relative darkness of the night, save for a lantern hooked to the front of the wagon itself. They’d have to put it out before they began their rest for the night, but at least for the moment, the light was a welcome reprieve from the darkness.

Looking up from the bits of his meal, Izayoi had already began to ask about watch. Their group was small, and everyone needed adequate sleep to perform properly, but especially out in the wilderness, night watch was a common task. Before Galahad could reply, Neve interjected, asking to check his wounds. Galahad’s first instinct was to decline, but he winced as he looked down at his arm. He’d managed to bind them with bandages during their travel, but he hadn’t had the time to actually get them treated- and who knew what kind of wounds a blightbeast could leave. Even if he was fine now, he needed to be at 100% if he was going to do anything properly for the party.

[color=lightblue]”I’ll take first watch.”[/color] Galahad informed Izayoi, and the party at large, [color=lightblue]”It seems I’ll be up for a bit longer anyway,”[/color] he reasoned. [color=lightblue]”Our group is small, 4 watches of 2 hours each should give everyone an adequate amount of rest.”[/color]

With Neve approaching, Galahad grabbed his bedroll from the pack and laid it out on the dirt so she would have a place to sit. Prying off his armguard, Galahad undid the bandage and squinted at his wound, angry purple marks formed wide arcs on the his skin- it was lucky he was wearing armor, or he’d have lost the arm. 

[color=lightblue]”Sorry to have provided you with more work,”[/color] Galahad apologized to the white mage, with a faint, rueful smile, [color=lightblue]”Thank you.”[/color]

Neve sat down on the bedroll quietly as Galahad removed his armguard. Humming, she leaned close to look over the wound with fresh eyes and without the worry of being swarmed a second time. She reached out to feel the wound with gentle fingers, seeking any sign of fever or abnormal pain. Fortunately for him, an infection hadn’t set in. She let out a sigh of relief before she settled more comfortably on the fabric and raised her staff slightly. 

The Cure spell’s glow was enough to fill the space between them in a gentle light as discolored skin began to fade away. [color=659EC7][b]”No need to thank me. It’s my job,”[/b][/color] she said without looking up. [color=659EC7][b]”Which means that you don’t have to apologize, either.”[/b][/color]

[color=lightblue]"Well, thank you anyway ."[/color] Galahad insisted, a bit teasingly. What discomfort was on his face quickly melted away as the wound closed up, the tall dragoon seemingly surprised by the soothing nature of the spell. 

[color=lightblue]"Good as new."[/color] Galahad mused, examining the arm himself for a short moment. Had he not been staring at the wound the moment prior, it's quite possible he'd never even notice it. The only remaining sign that Galahad had been hurt was the small punctures in his arm guard. Out from his side, he pulled out a skin of sweet honeyed mead- some of his own personal stock instead of a part of the rations Leonhart had sent along with them. He took a short sip of it before handing the skin to the young white mage. 

[color=lightblue]"Don't tell anyone else."[/color] the dragoon chuckled lightly with a wink, [color=lightblue]"I'm not keen on sharing. Not with everyone anyway."[/color]

She was more than relieved to see that the gaping wound healed without much trouble. Neve lowered her staff and drew in a breath as she raised her hand to tuck a wild strand of hair behind her ear. That was one person taken care of… she nodded her head and made to leave before she was interrupted by Galahad’s kind gesture. Already, she could smell the familiar aroma of honey mead. 

Neve’s smile grew softer as she accepted the skin and tipped the opening against her lips. As she drank deep, its sweet flavor flooded her senses and made the load on her shoulders grow lighter. It wasn’t long before she held out the skin back to him as her eyes warmly met his. [color=659EC7][b]”You’re too kind to offer me what little mead you have left,”[/b][/color] she murmured. [color=659EC7][b]”But thank you. I haven’t had such sweet honey mead since I left Brightlam.”[/b][/color]

[color=lightblue]”I think sealing a hole in my arm is a fair price for it,”[/color] Galahad chuckled lightly, returning the leather skin to its spot on his pack. [color=lightblue]”I can restock once we get to Midgar, my family owns an apiary- I’m sure they won’t mind sparing a cask, given the gravity of what we’re setting out to do.”[/color]

[color=lightblue]”Brightlam?”[/color], Galahad asked curiously, [color=lightblue]”You’re from Drana Asnaeu then? I think you’re the first person I’ve actually spoken to from there.”

“You’re a long way from home then- though I suppose that could be said for many of us.”[/color]

The thought of having such a sweet concoction readily available during their travels was… oddly soothing. Neve didn’t like drinking much, but the sweetness and light flavor of the mead was enough to convince her to sip deep from a flagon. [color=659EC7][b]”Yes, I’ve come quite a ways from home. I was sent by the Grovemasters to help find the cause of the Blight and to tend to it.”[/b][/color] She lowered her eyes. [color=659EC7][b]”You must miss home as much as I do. I can only hope our journey isn’t too long and we’re all able to return safely.”[/b][/color]

[color=lightblue]”I feel a little guilty, honestly.”[/color] Galahad chuckled bitterly, [color=lightblue]”Everyone else here is leaving their homes, yet here we are, marching towards my own.”[/color] 

The irony wasn’t lost on him, Galahad wondered if anyone felt as though it was unfair, that the first stop in their journey was in fact Galahad’s home town, still more or less safe from the greater ravages of the blight, while their own homes may have been struggling or already lost. Would they think he was entitled or spoiled? Perhaps it didn’t help that of everyone here, Galahad was probably one of the few, if only that [i]didn’t[/i] want to return home yet.

[color=lightblue]”I’m from Midgar, my father rules the city.”[/color] Galahad explained, [color=lightblue]”I suppose that means I’ll be home sooner than expected. Not expecting much of a homecoming though-  my father’s been a bit distant since the war.”

“On the bright side, we shouldn’t expect any issues with cooperation or obtaining supplies.”[/color] Galahad chuckled, [color=lightblue]”Nobility has at least a few perks.”[/color]

Neve had almost forgotten that Galahad was of noble-blood. For a moment, she felt anxiety trickle through her in response, but she swallowed the hard lump in her throat and drowned the sensation with another sip of honey mead. It didn’t seem that Galahad was too keen on seeing his father again… with their luck, maybe they wouldn’t have to come across him directly. Then again, things were hardly ever that simple. She could only hope his father was easy to get along with, even if he was as aloof as Galahad warned he was. 

For the first time since her departure from the castle, Neve gave Galahad a genuine smile. [color=659EC7][b]”You’ll have to tell me how that’s like when you have the time. Being a noble, and all.”[/b][/color]

[color=lightblue]”Well, what's the point of having perks of I'm not going to share?"[/color] Galahad grinned, a bit of the warmth returning to his voice. [color=lightblue]"Other than that, the bureaucracy can be draining. The Gardens are nice though- perhaps if we're not too busy saving the world I can show you."[/color]

Reaching out, Galahad lightly patted the top of Neve's head, [color=lightblue]"In the meanwhile, you should get some rest. Pardon me if I'm being presumptuous, but you look exhausted."[/color]

Taking his skin back, Galahad took a small sip of his own before putting it away, chuckling with some measure of amusement in how little was left. He shrugged and stood up, escorting Neve the few feet back to her own bedroll. 

[color=lightblue]"Goodnight, Neve."[/color]

Galahad wasn’t wrong. Even as he spoke, she could feel her eyes drooping– she was so tired that she couldn’t even muster much of a reaction when he patted her head. As Neve’s mind slowly became muddled with visions of fabulous gardens, she allowed herself to be guided to her bedroll. Yawning, she hunkered down, slipped inside, and pulled the sheets over her to guard herself from the chill of the night. 

[color=659EC7][b]”Goodnight, Galahad. Get enough rest.”[/b][/color] She yawned once more before she drifted off into sleep.