The Path Ahead

ONE

One of them, a young and handsome bald man, caught her eye. He was Edwyn, commander of the forces here. She'd talked with him a bit earlier before settling in with her friends, but now that they were gone for the night, she thought she'd pick up where she left off and try to get to know him a little. When the song she was dancing to had ended, she went over to the table where Edwyn was sitting.

"Hey, there!" she waved.

Edwyn smiled. "Aerith. Enjoying the celebration?"

She laughed. "Definitely! Looks like you are, too. Not many people left here besides us party animals, eh?"

"Seems that way," he agreed. "Please, have a seat."

Aerith sat down, noticing the faint scars here and there on his face and arms. "You're looking better, Edwyn. Though I'd advise you to take it easy for the next few days. You've been through a lot."

Edwyn nodded. "As have we all. And I have you to thank for being in one piece after all that. I... don't think I did earlier."

"You were worried about your men," she said, understanding.

He didn't argue. "Still, I'm grateful. So... thank you, Aerith. For the help and healing you've given me... I-I mean, all of us."

Aerith took his hand. "You're welcome."

The contact between them made feathers swirl in her stomach, but she didn't let go right away. After the battle, she, Jessie, and Tifa had all tended to the wounded, mending what hurts they could. Edwyn, as the commander, had wanted his men's injuries looked after before his own even though he'd barely been able to stand at first. It wasn't until Aerith had made him sit down that he'd finally allowed her to use her healing magic and abilities to see to his wounds. Fortunately, none of them had been too serious, and he was recovering well.

Aerth had also noticed him noticing her throughout the party, and his verbal slip just now confirmed what she'd already been sensing. He was attracted to her. And she'd have been lying to herself if she'd said it didn't go the other way as well. Edwyn wasn't much older than her, just a year or two shy of thirty by her guess, and easy enough to look at. She had to admit, she'd done her share of looking earlier when she'd known the others weren't paying much attention to her.

"How long do you think you'll be here?" Edwyn asked.

"At the fort?" Aerith said. "I'm not sure. I don't think it'll be all that long, though. We're kind of on a quest, you see."

He chuckled. "I'm not surprised."

"Oh?" she raised an eyebrow.

"Just look at what you've done already," Edwyn reminded her. "We all thought we were going to die before you and your friends came. But with your help, we not only survived, we won."

Aerith smiled. "Heroes aren't always what you think, Edwyn. Some might not stand out so much, but there's nothing wrong with that. The things they do for others speak for themselves."

It took a moment for him to realize what she was really saying, but when he did, he smiled gratefully at her. "I... thank you, Aerith. That's very kind. I'm just a soldier, nothing special, really."

"You fought as hard and as bravely as any of us," she said.

"I had to," Edwyn replied. "Not just for my men, but for my family. I have two young children. My sister's with them in Darnath, the town I told you about before, where we all sent our loved ones to before you and your friends arrived. I haven't seen them in months."

Aerith gazed softly at him, understanding. "You must miss them a lot. What about their mother? Is she with them, too?"

"She died... three years ago," Edwyn sighed.