Emerald Rain

Tailtean Plains

They had been traveling for four days roughly and they were in-between Galatea territory and the Tailtean Plains.

They had been marching in the rain for hours now and finally they came to the conclusion that the storm wasn't going to let up for some time. So, it was decided that they would set up camp to ride out the storm.

As they did that Gilbert and a few of his men would scout ahead.

"Do you think the goddess is angry?" Dimitri asked quietly into Byleth's ear.

Byleth tilted her head back onto Dimitri's shoulder and looked up at him, "She has other ways of expressing her anger" Byleth retorted "If she really thought it was a bad idea she would find a way to pop back into my head to scold me" she said.

Dimitri chuckled, "Fair enough" he said and wrapped his arms around her, the two of them sat in Byleth's tent with Dimitri's cloak around them trying to strive off the cold that surrounded them. "Do you miss her?" Dimitri asked after a few moments of silence.

"Yes" Byleth replied without hesitation, "Ever since she left my head has felt a little bit empty" she confessed "I do miss her company" she added.

Dimitri rested his head on her shoulder, "I'll try not to take offence from that" he murmured.

Byleth hummed lightly in response, the rain continued to pour outside of the tent. "At this point I think we may have to fight Rhea in the rain," Byleth said.

"Or we could wait for the storm to pass," Dimitri said.

"I suppose you have a point," Byleth said quietly, over the past four days neither of them has mentioned it. Byleth is certain he is thinking of what will come and how he could stop it, but fate cannot be stopped. Not by Byleth, not by Sothis, and certainly not by Dimitri.

Fate is cruel that way.

"Byleth" Claude's voice shouts from outside of her tent, then the flaps are pushed aside to let him in. Claude stares for a moment, "Oh? I hope I'm not interrupting" he said in a sly voice.

Byleth frowns at Claude and opens the cloak to show she is still in full gear, as is Dimitri. "What's up Claude?" Byleth questions.

Claude nods his head, "Ah, right" he said, "Gilbert returned from his scouting mission" Claude began "It looks like we are going to receive a greeting before we reach Fhirdiad" he added.

Dimitri tensed up, "What do you mean, Claude?" he asked as though he didn't understand it.

"Rhea sent out troops to greet us at Tailtean Plains" Claude replied.

Byleth was silent for a moment, "Will Rhea be there?" she asked.

"I would assume so," Claude said.

Dimitri's arms tightened around her slightly, "I see..." Byleth murmured "So, that means we need to depart to meet them, right?" she asked.

Claude nodded, "Inquisitive as always Byleth" he said "But yeah get ready to depart you two" he added and left from the tent.

Byleth and Dimitri were quiet for a moment.

"I didn't think we would be fighting so suddenly," Dimitri said quietly.

Byleth sighed and leaned into him for a moment more then got up to be met with the harsh cold air.

Dimitri followed her lead and got up.

"For what it's worth, I didn't think so either" Byleth confessed and shook her head, "But... I cannot keep Rhea waiting" she sighed "The time is now, where her reign ends" she concluded.