A/N: Yeah I know, there's a bunch of tactician fics already, haha. Well, I'm just going to contribute to the collection then. I'm going to keep the actions as original as I can, which means I tossed out the game script (but I still reference back to it every now and again) and I'll be adding some plot twists of my own. Also, my tactician is going to be a little overshadowed by the canon characters (in my opinion, they're easier to write because their personalities already show), but she still has a reasonable role in this. Lastly, I don't own Fire Emblem; it belongs to Nintendo and Intelligent Systems. Read and Review!

Morning slowly etched its way over the horizon, announcing its arrival with vibrant shades of magenta, orange, and yellow skies. Nature soon came alive again with the birds singing their songs, squirrels and other rodents scampering across the plains, and flowers opening up their buds to receive the warm rays of sunlight. A light breeze traveled across the land, barely swaying the trees and disturbing the dark, green hair of a Sacaen woman. The individual was known as Lyn, the last remaining member of her tribe: the Lorca. The girl of eighteen sat on the moist grass with her legs crossed and her eyes closed. If any were to see her now, she would seem at peace, but inside there was a torrent of emotions stirring within her. It was for this reason that she woke up earlier than usual to meditate and tame the storm inside her heart. She took in a deep breath of the crisp air, and slowly exhaled with a silent huuuhhhh sound. She opened her eyes and started to observe the scenery before her.

Today marks six months… She thought, but then she immediately chided herself. The purpose for her meditating before dawn was to rid her mind of the unwanted, horrific images that tainted her memory. She rose from her spot on the grass and chose to begin her day; anything to distract her from going to her dark place. She returned to her hut to retrieve her bow and arrow and went out into the woods for a hunt. As she swept through the paths, leaping over roots and fallen trunks alike, a memory came back to her; nothing like the dark, morbid ones she'd been having.

"Ah! No…can someone please get me down?" came a whiny voice.

Lyn searched for the source of the voice and finally her eyes settled on a purple-haired, young girl. She wore the armor of a Pegasus knight, but seeing how she was stuck in a tree, it was hard to believe.

"Are you okay?" Lyn called to her.

"I-I'm not hurt. Just stuck. Can you…ah no! Don't come closer!"

Lyn raised her brow in confusion. Wasn't this girl asking for help a moment ago? Lyn then realized that her bow was still in her hand, which was probably making the Pegasus knight a little apprehensive. Without a second thought, she cast the bow aside and began to ascend the tree.

"It's okay." She tried to reassure the young girl. "I'll get you down. Here, take my hand."

The girl looked as though she had never seen a hand before. Could she trust this stranger? She had heard stories about the Sacaens' barbaric and cultic nature, but this girl seemed different. Suddenly, a loud buzzing sound filled her ears, and terror filled her soul once again.

"BEES!" She exclaimed. It sounded as though the swarm was coming right for her. Not even considering things, the girl jumped into Lyn's arms. Lyn was caught off-guard and released her grip on the tree, sending both girls plummeting to the ground. Lyn felt the wind get knocked out of her as the younger girl crashed on top of her body.

"Oh! I'm sorry!" The girl quickly got up and offered Lyn her hand. "Are you injured?"

Lyn coughed up some dirt and saw a scrape on the palm of her hand, but she was otherwise fine. "Don't worry about it. Just a few scratches. How did you get up in that tree anyway?"

"Well, I'm a Pegasus knight-in-training from Ilia. I'm still getting used to riding a Pegasus, but I lost my balance and fell." Her face turned red with embarrassment. "Thank you for saving me."

"It was no trouble at all. My name is Lyn."

"I-I'm Florina."

"Nice to meet you, Florina. Where is your Pegasus right now?"

Florina's eyes dilated with shock. "I…I don't know! He must have flown off after I fell!"

"Don't panic. I'll help you find him."

"You will? Oh thank you, Lyn!"

Lyn smiled. She felt that she and this girl would become fast friends.

Lyn broke out of her nostalgic trance when she caught sight of a rabbit trapped in a thorn bush. The skin was torn in various places with dots of blood staining its coat. Both of the hind legs were disfigured, possibly broken. A sigh escaped Lyn's throat as she readied her quiver. The little rodent would just suffer until a predator would violently mangle it to death. Her aim was true, and the rabbit quickly and painlessly escaped its anguish. Lyn did her best to free the corpse without puncturing the skin (and herself). She wrapped it in a cloth, placed the bundle into her pouch, and started her way back home, occasionally stopping to pick some fruits from the trees and shrubs. She considered pretending that her friend was walking beside her, but she just chuckled at the thought. Only the mentally insane would behave like that, and she was not willing to give in to the side effects of loneliness. No matter how much it hurt…

Lyn munched on an apple as she let the rabbit cook on a skewer. She estimated the time to be about five hours after noon, judging by the position of the sun. She wished she had a sun dial in her possession at the moment. In fact, she did have one, but it was lost when her tribe…

"NO!" Lyn brought her fist down on the table. "I can't keep living in the past."

She seethed to herself out of frustration, until she was able to calm down somewhat. Maybe she was going mentally insane. Finally, the rabbit was cooked enough and she focused on getting it spiced up for her dinner. Suddenly, a loud crash rang out, causing the Sacaen to flinch.

"What was that?" Lyn wondered aloud. "I better go check it out."

She reached for her sword and immediately rushed out the door. When she went outside, Lyn growled when she saw what the problem was: bandits. They looked like they were about to attack one of the villages. Lyn narrowed her eyes and slowly crept up behind a bush. When one of the bandits wasn't looking, she quickly lunged at him and engaged him in combat. She successfully sliced open his abdomen, but he was able to retaliate and nick Lyn in the shoulder. She winced, but didn't cry out in pain. Instead, she got into an offensive stance and with great precision, ran her sword through the man's neck. The bandit gurgled on his own blood before dropping to the ground, dead. Lyn wiped the sweat off her brow and withdrew a vulnerary from her satchel. She heard an enraged shout from the gang's ringleader when he saw one of his members lifeless on the ground. Lyn quickly took a swig of the medicine before getting ready to fight with another bandit. The bandit ran up to her with his axe raised in the air, but she effortlessly dodged his attack and fatally ran him through the back with her blade. She smirked, this was almost too easy. She faced the ringleader by the ger and began to approach him. He was stunned to see a lone woman take out her members, but he wasn't about to lose to her. He put on his most menacing glare and flexed his muscles for show.

"How dare you kill off my boys!" he shouted. "But do you really think you can stand up to me, Batta the Beast? Hah! This will be fun, hacking your body into pieces."

Lyn nearly spat in disgust. Saying she despised bandits was an understatement. The hatred for them burned in her eyes and she wouldn't give up until their blood was spilled by her own hands.

"I won't lose to a low-life bandit such as yourself." Lyn retorted. "May you be damned by my sword!"

With that, Lyn charged him with fierce anger in her eyes. She went for the chest, but he was able to easily dodge it. Then, seeing an opening, Batta heaved his axe and sliced a huge, bloody wound in her gut. He laughed when she cried out in pain.

"Haha! I knew you wouldn't be able to beat me! Now you're dead, babe."

Lyn swallowed up her pain and glared at him with the intent to kill. Raising her sword, she muttered, "Taste my blade."

She ran towards him, but instead of striking him down, she swiftly moved and performed multiple slices so fast, not even Batta could tell where she was. Finally she stood in front of the bandit and watched as he toppled over like a tree.

"What…how did you…" He left his sentence unfinished when he gave in to death.

Lyn crossed her arms and drained some more of the vulnerary. She took care of the bandits, but that didn't satisfy her. Batta nearly killed her with just one swing of his axe.

I really need to get stronger. Lyn began to walk away until a strange feeling rose in her. She went back to the ger and opened the flap.

"Is anyone in here?" She asked, but got no response. The people who live here probably went out or something.

She was about to leave when she heard a muffled sound coming from behind her. Lyn turned around and saw someone bound and gagged on the floor. It looked like a young boy, probably about the age of sixteen. He had brown hair and wore a hooded green-and-yellow tunic with gray pants. From the looks of it, he had been beaten senselessly, for there were many bruises and scrapes across his face and limbs. One of his eyes was blackened and swollen, and there was a giant slot in his forehead that was leaking blood. Lyn was almost sick at the sight, but regained her senses and started to free the kid of his bindings.

"Don't worry." She said. "You're safe now. The bandits are no longer alive. My name is Lyn. What's yours?"

"Tuck…er…" He wheezed out before falling unconscious.

"Tuck Er?" Lyn let the name roll of her tongue. "A very strange name indeed…wait, Tuck…er…Tucker! I see now. I better bring him back with me."

She hoisted him up with ease- he was very small and light- and quickly carried him back to her hut. She placed him on her bed and started to assess his condition.

No broken bones, no stab wounds…he's looks like a skeleton as though he hadn't eaten in months. That can be fixed though. I better clean his wounds before they get worse. Lyn dipped a cloth into a bowl of water with herbs and began scrubbing it across his cuts and wounds, cleaning away the blood and dirt. Even though he was unconscious, he still grimaced from the pain. Lyn sighed and gently fed him a vulnerary. The medicine healed up most of the cuts, but the head injury continued to bleed. Other than that, the pain seemed to fade away, for the boy's expression quickly relaxed. Lyn smiled with relief as she carefully wrapped a bandage tight around his head.

His clothes are dirty and torn. I can take care of that…I hope he doesn't mind. Slowly, Lyn removed the tunic and pants, trying not to look at anything. Luckily, he was wearing extra garments underneath his clothes, but something seemed odd. With somewhat of a shock, Lyn realized they were women's undergarments and that "he" was actually a "she."

I was sure greatly mistaken. But he…er, she lacks some of the "certain features." Lyn shook her head and gathered up Tucker's clothing. She whispered a prayer for the girl's health before going out to clean her garments.

The next day, Lyn woke up with her mind groggy and her body exhausted from yesterday's battle. She contemplated going back to sleep when she remembered the victim that she rescued. Dressing quickly, Lyn sprinted into the other half of her hut to see Tucker sitting up in bed, examining her surroundings.

"Good, you're awake." Lyn said. "How are you feeling?"

"Much better." Tucker smiled. "Lyn, was it? Thank you for rescuing me. Uh…my clothes…"

"Oh, they're right here. I hope you don't mind, but I had to clean them."

"Um…thanks." Tucker awkwardly accepted her garments and quickly pulled them on before getting out of the bed. "Where am I exactly?"

"This is Sacae." Lyn responded. "I could tell by your clothes that you're a traveller."

Tucker shrugged. "You could say that. I'm not exactly from here. I was just wandering around lost until those bandits jumped me…ow…"

Lyn retrieved another bandage to replace the one Tucker had bled through.

"Sounds like you had a rough journey." She said with sympathy.

"It was. My parents left Elibe to go back to our home continent, but I got left behind." Tucker sighed and pulled out a crest attached to a chain around her neck. Lyn squinted at the emblem in the crest.

That's the symbol of a tactician! Lyn looked shocked. But she's so young. She must be a prodigy! I could probably learn something from her.

"Hey, Lyn? Is something the matter?" Tucker inquired when she noticed how the Sacaen was spacing out.

"Huh? Oh! Nothing's wrong." Lyn chuckled nervously, but then took on a more serious tone. "Say, Tucker, you seem to be experienced in the ways of war. And…even though you don't know where you're travelling to, do you mind if I tag along?"

"What?!" Tucker exclaimed. "Why?" Why would she think that I study war? Oh, my grandfather's crest…

"I need to become stronger!" Lyn claimed. "I was almost killed yesterday fighting those bandits, and that made me realize that I'm not going to get anywhere at this rate."

"But I…I'm not a…" Tucker paused when she saw the crestfallen look on Lyn's face. "Ah please don't look at me that way…I mean, we'd look pretty odd travelling together, don't you think? And besides, what would your parents think about travelling with a stranger?"

Lyn gaped. "M-My parents? I…I don't have…"

Tucker looked at her in confusion, but when she noticed the intense sorrow on the Sacaen's face she knew she said something she shouldn't have.

"Ah! D-Don't cry…I-I'm sorry." Tucker stammered.

Lyn shook her head and stared at the ground. "My tribe is…no more. Six months ago bandits poisoned our water supply. Everyone, except for a few others and I, drank from it. The effect was immediate and everybody started getting weaker and weaker. That's when the bandits…attacked. They decimated everyone: the elderly, the teens, even the children. My mother was among them. My father was barely getting me out of there when the axes…overtook…I'm sorry."

Lyn buried her face in her hands and sat there trembling. It had been six months, which she had used to grieve and try to move on. However, the emotional pain was still fresh, like a half-healed scar had just opened. She couldn't cry though; it would shame her dignity and create an awkward aura for her newfound friend. Lyn struggled to get her composure together, but felt herself failing. At least until Tucker laid a hand on her shoulder.

"It's okay." She spoke. "Continue when you're ready, or you don't have to."

Lyn let out a heavy sigh. She looked up from her hands and tried her best to finish. "I…as the chieftain's daughter I thought it would be my duty to lead our people. But I was so young, and no one would follow me because I'm a woman. I was alone…"

Tucker just sat there and watched Lyn with sympathy in her eyes. The poor girl looked like she was about to cry, but she was still fighting her emotions. Finally the so-called tactician scooted closer and took Lyn's hand into her own. Lyn accepted the simple gesture of comfort and squeezed it. For a long time, both girls remained like that in silence, save for Lyn's hitched breathing.

"You can let it out if you want." Tucker broke the silence, unsure of what else to say. "I'll understand if you do."

Lyn smiled, but shook her head. "Thanks, Tucker, but I've already grieved about this. I'm done crying. Tucker, this is why I asked. I…must become stronger if I'm ever going to avenge my tribe. If I remain here alone any longer, I will never reach that goal. Take me with you, train me in the ways of war. That's all I ask. Please!"

Tucker was stunned to say the least. At that moment, she definitely wanted to help this girl out…even if it meant lying to her.

"Of course. Lyn…I would be honored to have you travel with me."

"Oh thank you!" Lyn embraced Tucker, much to the brunette's surprise. "I won't let you down, Tucker. We'll be the best travelling duo in all of Sacae: you, my master strategist and I, your peerless warrior. Together we can overcome anything!"

Tucker smiled at the fierce determination in Lyn's eyes. "I'll do my best. Before we go, we should restock on our supplies. You know the land better than I do, so where should we start out?"

"Tomorrow we'll set out for Bulgar. That's the largest capital in all of Sacae. We'll be able to get enough essentials from there."

"Good. And so begins our journey…"