"The After": prologue
A Valkyrie Profile Fan Fic
by Wounded Melody (AKA Lithium Flower and Temple Priestess)
Valkyrie Profile & characters belong to Square-Enix, et al

Lawfer sat down in the grass next to Arngrim, who lay sprawled out on his
back, hands behind his head. The two of them often came to this hill to
sit and talk or to merely watch the simple beauty of the golden leaves
spiraling down from the heavens. The blonde warrior looked over at Arngrim,
who had closed his eyes and seemed to be lost in sleep. With his eyes
closed, the scar that ran down the left side of his face was clearly
visible. Arngrim was lucky not to have lost his eye from such a wound.

It was a mystery to everyone, even Arngrim's own brother, as to how he had
come by that scar. The dark haired warrior never talked about it and
Lawfer was hesitant, even afraid, to ask him outright. He didn't want to
stir up some best-forgotten memory by asking something so personal. The
origin of his scar was just as mysterious as Arngrim himself. Although the
older man was friendly enough with all of the soldiers, he never revealed
anything about himself, about his life before he had met Lawfer and the
others.

Lawfer gazed at his sleeping friend, wondering how he could ever relax like
this, when the world seemed to be plunging into madness more and more each
day? Perhaps it was this place, an isolated hilltop, which made him feel
as if the rest of Midgard did not exist. Here there was only peace and
quietness and safety. Here there was only the two of them.

As the young man studied Arngrim's face, he unconsciously reached out his hand
towards the scar, as if simply touching it would reveal all the secrets his
friend had hidden away.

"You're wondering how I got that scar?"

Lawfer gasped and pulled his hand back quickly as Arngrim spoke suddenly, his
eyes still remaining closed. He should have known that a warrior as skilled
as Arngrim would immediately sense anyone coming near him.

"What's wrong with you?" Arngrim finally opened his eyes when Lawfer did not
respond to his original question. He sat up and looked questioningly at the
blonde.

"N-nothing," Lawfer stammered, suddenly feeling very nervous, "I-I shouldn't
have woken you. I'm sorry."

Arngrim grinned and laughed softly as his friend started to blush furiously,
but his expression became somber as his hand went up to his face and he
traced the path of the scar with his fingertips-from his brow, over his
eye and down his cheek. It seemed to Lawfer that there were times when Arngrim
could still feel the pain in this old wound, as fresh as the day it marked him.
Lawfer's hazel eyes watched his movements intently; he could see a brief moment
of sadness flash in Arngrim's eyes and he felt terrible for causing his friend to
relive some surely awful moment.

Lawfer expected his friend to stand up and leave, even utter some curse at
him for ruining the peace he had found for too brief a time. He never
expected that Arngrim would move so close to him that he was nearly on top
of the blonde, their faces bare inches apart. The young warrior fell back
onto the grass in surprise, his hands clutching at the dew covered blades.

"Everyone has a past, Lawfer. Everyone has secrets." Arngrim spoke softly,
which was uncharacteristic of him. His warm breath brushed against Lawfer's
lips with each word. "Secrets should only be told to someone you can trust.
You have to be sure that the trust is real or you will destroy yourself."

"...destroy yourself...?" Lawfer murmured, eyes locked on the face before
him. Arngrim's near black eyes gazed back through half shut lids, like a
lover whispering endearments in the night. This image clashed with what
Lawfer knew him to be-a fierce, even uncontrollable, warrior, not someone
who could easily be kind or gentle. Lawfer could not consciously combine
the two and he was left in a half confused daze, barely registering the
words Arngrim spoke.

"Yes, destroy." Arngrim leaned in closer as if to whisper some unspeakable
secret. "If you trust someone with your heart and your soul and they betray
you, it is better to pray for death than to live one moment longer." A note
of sorrow resonated in these last words and Lawfer could almost swear that he
saw a glistening in those dark eyes before Arngrim drew back and stood up. His
usual expression returned to his face as Lawfer just stared in wonder,
unsure if he was dreaming...he had to be.

Any hopes of him being asleep were broken as Arngrim grabbed his hand and roughly
pulled him to his feet.

"We have to be getting back," he reminded Lawfer. "The training sessions will
begin shortly." Lawfer nodded, mute, as he followed Arngrim down the hillside.
The wind picked up, scattering golden leaves all around them, the rustling
breaking the silence. Arngrim glanced over his shoulder and whispered so quietly
that Lawfer could barely hear him above the sound of the wind swept leaves.

"One day I'll tell you how I got this scar."

.:tbc:.