AN: I've been working on this forever and just never got around to finishing it. Hopefully I can get into writing some more and these casual little scenarios are a fun way to do that. This is based on a true story by the way. Read and Review but above all, enjoy~

Rolf's Story: Surpassing the Master

(Setting: Radiant Dawn: Part 4, Chapter 5)

For what must have been the tenth time over the time they'd been marching, Rolf couldn't help but mentally beat himself up over what had happened. Seemed like since then it'd been just one problem after another for poor Rolf.

After spending all week working up his courage to tell Mist just how much he liked her, she'd spent all of ten second shooting him down. Now Rolf was embarrassed, heart broken and worst of all, single.

"M-mist? I just… I wanted to tell you that… I-I-I really like you. Would you… be my Support Partner?" Rolf stammered, blushing all the harder when his scratchy pubescent voice chose that moment to break, making his declaration of love come out as a squeak. They'd been close for years but it wasn't even the rejection that hurt so much. It was the reason.

"Oh… Sorry Rolf, I've been seeing Boyd for a long time." That was all she said before walking off.

Boyd? Boyd! How? Mist, his best friend he'd known since he was born. Rolf and Mist entered the mercenaries together, fought in the war together, hell, they'd even been held hostage together and she dumped him for his older brother!

"Where's the fairness in that?" Sadly, Rhys the priest and one of Rolf's closest friends didn't have an answer. In fact, the subject of romance seemed to make him quite uncomfortable, especially when Rolf started crying about how she had no right to sneaking around his back with his older brother. Of course, he had no reason to believe that Rhys' and Oscar's support relationship was anything more then that even though the two had ended up having quite a few romantic encounters in the kitchens while Rhys cooked (usually resulting in dinner being late for everyone else.)

Though she didn't hold it against him, the green haired sniper just couldn't face her again. Rhys hadn't been any help, so Rolf ran to the next closest person for help. Maybe he could get some really tough training from Uncle Shinon to keep his mind off his troubles. Sadly, the older Sniper wasn't helpful either. In fact, it was just the opposite.

"Listen Rolf, we need to talk. You haven't really been in battle for a while. The enemies are getting even stronger and I don't think you can handle yourself out there. Just stay on the bench where it's safe, alright?"

Rolf felt his eyes welling up. Just because he was only a level 4 sniper didn't mean he couldn't be useful. Why wasn't anyone giving him a chance! It just wasn't fair and the tears forming in the boy's eyes were real; not the crocodile tears he affected whenever he wanted something.

"Alright Rolf, looks like Mia is over there. I gotta go or she'll chat my ear off. Buck up kid, it'll get better." And with that, Shinon was gone, off to go give attention to the support partner that Commander Ike had forced upon him.

"So much for having uncle Shinon wrapped around my finger," Rolf pouted.

-H-A-W-K-

Queen Elincia took a deep breath of forest air as she wandered through the wide spaced trees with her attendant Lucia at her side. Looking back at the line of troops following along behind them, Elincia laid a hand on Lucia's arm, "I'd like to go through the troops and make sure everyone is coming along alright. Please keep the lead."

Lucia nodded, keeping her senses alert for the ever present possibility of danger while Elincia marched back down the line of troops with her mighty Mend Staff to tend anyone who'd sustained injuries. After several moments of healing minor injuries she spotted Rolf trudging along and looking severely depressed at the end of the line.

"My lord Rolf? Is something the matter? Are you injured?" she asked, concerned. Queen Elincia knew that it must be especially difficult for Rolf since he was the youngest one of the group and the only one of the Greil Mercenaries assigned to her.

"Yeah. But its not anything you can fix with a staff," Rolf sniffed, wiping his nose on the back of his hand. He didn't really want to burden anyone with his problems but the Queen was a sympathetic ear and a shoulder to cry on so he took the opportunity. "See, I told Mist I like her but she picked Boyd over me and Rhys was acting weird, Uncle Shinon would rather spend time with Mia then me… Then Uncle Shinon talked to Ike and they wouldn't let me in battle anymore so I can't get any better so I can't prove myself to Mist… and she pulled some strings and got me traded over here. I think… I think I got fired from the Greil Mercenaries."

Rolf tried to keep himself together but his bottom lip refused to cooperate and a moment later he broke down, bawling on the Queen's shoulder. Elincia's heart went out to the boy, rubbing his back and murmuring quiet words of encouragement. She knew all too well what it was like to be frustrated and have no one to turn to. That was how the whole messy affair with the Duke of Felirae had gone.

"Don't worry my lord Rolf, I'll think of a way that we can fix this, so chin up and let's go catch up to everyone else."

Drying his eyes on his shirt Rolf sniffed once more. "Promise?"

"I promise. I'll talk to Tibarn about it tonight."

-The next day-

Events moved quickly after that. All Rolf knew was that Bastian had finally caught up with a mysterious cloaked figure who they shut up in a tent with Prince Rafiel. Ever since Bastian's arrival, the members of the Crimean court were scrambling around like ants in a kicked over anthill. King Tibarn's voice rang out over the commotion, "Prepare for battle! All units called, get suited up and be out here in five. Move! Astrid! Callil! Haar! Zihark! Rolf! Makalov!"

Rolf blinked once. The Hawk King had a powerful voice and Rolf couldn't believe that he'd misheard. Hurriedly, he dressed and grabbed his bows and arrows and ran out into the center of the camp where several others already waited. Since Lucia, the Queen and company were already there, Tibarn hadn't felt the need to bellow the obvious need to be prepared for battle in their ears.

"My lord Rolf! I kept my promise, and I want you to have this. I think you will get the most use out of it."

Dangling from the Queen's hand was a Paragon charm and Rolf reverently took the talisman and draped it over his neck, feeling the protection settle over him like a second skin. With his talisman, Rolf settled into his spot in line and marched off to battle.

The battlefield turned out to be a swamp where the mad man Izuka had decided to take refuge, shouting some nonsense about how no one understood his genius but Tibarn would hear nothing of it. "Form up, make a defensive line at that tree up there. Healers and archer in the back!"

After everything he'd been told, he was being shuffled to the back again! Rolf marched up to King Tibarn to demand an explanation as to why he couldn't be on the front lines but rather than give a reason, the king simply pointed out into the swamp and Rolf felt himself pale. Coming straight at their little ragtag group of fighters was a wall of snarling, feral cats, tigers and even dragons! "And you want me to send you out into that? " Tibarn asked evenly. Rolf shook his head quickly. Just the thought of trying to take on a dragon had the boy borderline to soiling himself. "I didn't think so. You're back here because you've got an important job to do. There are also feral Hawks and Ravens out there; fliers can go around our defensive line. I need you to keep our healers safe. You and Astrid are the only bows we have. Trust me, there's no shortage of enemies so get out there and make me proud!"

"Yes sir!"

But neither of them knew how right the King would be. Once the battle started it was brutal. Tigers lined up for a chance to tear into soft, beorc flesh and the feathers of ravens darkened the sky. For hours, the musical twang of Rolf's bowstring sang the end of bird after bird after bird and with each arrow that flew from his bowstring, the Paragon charm around his neck glowed brighter and brighter.

Panting and dripping sweat and blood, the sniper jumped backwards, just barely avoiding the razor sharp talons of a hawk tearing through the air where his face had been only seconds before. A steel tipped arrow lay on the bowstring almost as soon as his feet left the ground and Rolf landed, bowstring pulled back to his cheek and released, not even bothering to try and shield himself from the spray of blood and feathers that his arrow had called forth. Before he had a chance to find his next target, a voice alerted him to where it was. "Back you beast! Field nurse Callil does not have time to deal with you!"

Callil, while a self proclaimed First Class Mage and indeed, an extremely talented master of fire, the simple Mend Staff, while capable of being used for defense, wouldn't lead to the eruptions of hellfire that the mage was known for. Now, the master mage was swinging the staff wildly from side to side, trying to fend off the large, shadowy bird practically on top of her. Geoffrey, the captain of Elincia's Royal Knights looked back from his battle and was promptly rewarded with the jaws of a tiger closing like a vice around his right arm. Snarling as loud as the beast he now fought, Geoffrey dropped his weapon catching it with his left arm and skewering the cat with the two pronged end of the Brave lance, but as soon as it fell, another took its place. All of the front line fighters were battling several creatures at once while Elincia and Bastian scrambled desperately just to try and keep everyone alive.

Rolf just stared at the spectacle. King Tibarn was locked in battle with a red dragon and none of the Paladins could stop to help the mage for fear of being torn apart while their back was turned. Callil's shrieks and the raven's cawing added to the cacophony of battle raging before him, but in Rolf's head, all he could hear was Shinon's voice from the day of the execution, when he'd failed to prove his worth. But never again.

"One clean motion… No hesitation," Rolf whispered under his breath as he twirled the shaft of a barbed Killer arrow between his fingers, set it to the string, and let it fly. The raven's dying cry was but one more to ring through the air and with that final kill, the Paragon charm burst into brilliance. Through the dense veil of clouds that darkened the sky over the swamp, a single column of light shone down upon the bewildered sniper. "This… is almost like that time…"

"Rolf."

He frowned… That voice sounded like the Goddess. He'd only heard her speak a that one time but…

" You have demonstrated an amazing power of determination. Show how the tide of a battle is turned by the hearts of the soldiers fighting in it. You are hereby granted the rank of Marksman. Go forth and strike down your enemies in the name of Chaos."

The light grew brighter and brighter and Rolf could feel the many wounds he'd sustained closing as strength flooded back into his body. The Goddess had healed his wounds, taken away his fatigue and even spiffed his clothes up, leaving a short blue cape on his previously bare back. In the land of Tellius, a person's importance was denoted by the length of their cape and just having one filled the young Marksman with confidence. It felt amazing, the power of the Goddess of Chaos. He felt amazing, as though he could take on anything! Conveniently, a Red Dragon lumbered towards the group, red flames burning where it's eyes should have been. Geoffrey, the Paladin in front, readied his lance, waiting tensely for yet another fierce battle. As Geoffrey charged forward, Rolf took the opportunity to actually examine the dragon. Those scales overlapped, but not perfectly and he'd been taught how to shoot at the gaps between armor plates on heavy knights so why wouldn't it work on a dragon? Geoffrey almost missed the arrow whizzing past his head to bury into the dragon's soft underbelly beneath the scales but when it reared back in pain, the blue haired paladin seized the opportunity to finish it off.

"More birds, incoming!" Tibarn shouted at the pair of bow wielders. More winged forms appeared over the trees and as usual, Astrid and her horse made it over to the enemies before Rolf could, but on the way, he spotted Queen Elincia talking to the bushes. Curious, he wandered over to see what was going on.

"Four thousand gold? Yes, I'd welcome your services, Sir Volke."

It was only after she'd spoken his name that Rolf suddenly could make out the form of a man all dressed in black standing there. He wasn't even hiding; just standing there.

"I'll accept payment once the battle is over," the gruff assassin called over his shoulder as he strolled calmly towards the battle site. Right ahead, Zihark struggled to defend himself against yet another dragon. "Step aside."

Volke's was a hard voice to forget. His tone was one of confidence born from experience, but totally without conceit. If he said he could single handedly take down a dragon, then it was a simple statement of fact. The long ends of his dark red scarf fluttered in the breeze as the assassin did three back flips… then vanished! The only thing any of them had seen was the glint of his blades reflecting the pallid light before the dragon collapsed, leaving Volke to continue his casual walk towards the only reason the battle still raged on.

Of course, as a master assassin, none of the feral animals could detect the man so for him, it was but a short walk up to the architect of the madness. Upon seeing Volke walking towards him, Izuka paled, "Y-you! You're…"

"Under a new contract. Goodbye Izuka."

The summoner didn't even have a chance to scream as the blade of Baselard sliced cleanly through his throat, leaving the old man gurgling on the ground in blood and swamp water.

-A few days later-

The three groups had reunited at the base of the Tower of Guidance, leaving everyone to wait for further instruction from the Goddess.

"Ugh… I do no want to train, Mia," Shinon groaned at the purple haired Trueblade tugging insistantly on his arm.

"Aww, but c'mon! You never do anything fun with me and we're gonna need to be in tip-top shape for the tower! Get that blood pumping! Oh, hi Rolf!"

Shinon had been about to say that drinking was fun but Mia never wanted to do that, stopped in mid thought when he saw Rolf walking up. His student was definitely different, that much was obvious. There was a new surety to the boy's steps that hadn't been there. His old timidity was gone. "Hey, uncle Shinon! I got invited to go into the tower! See?"

"Invited? Who said you need to be inv-" he stopped, taking the small card Rolf held out. Printed on a very expensive looking piece of paper with gilded borders, a message lay in fancy, flourishing script. "Rolf, you are cordially invited to attend the Goddesses Tower of Guidance. Meeting will be held at the gates. RSVP."

"Oh hey! I got one of those too! Where's your's Shinon? Didn't you get one?" Mia chimed in, with an expectant look, rocking back and forth on her heels.

"Well… no but…"

"That's a bummer uncle Shinon. Hey, Mia, since we're going in, you wanna be my support partner?"

"Sure! Let's get going, we don't want to be late," and with that, the two of them ran off towards the Tower, leaving Shinon sputtering in disbelief. Rolf had just stolen his spot in the Tower, his support partner and… Since when did Rolf have a Silencer?

"Hey! That's my bow! Get back here with that!" Shinon yelled angrily, but it was no use. The student had surpassed the master.