Author's Note: This story is based on an actual playthrough of this chapter. All I can say is: Eliwood's survival in those four or five turns has forever earned him a solid place in my units, no matter what anyone may say about his stats. I should also add that, rather than use the default tactician, I went with the name and gender I used on that file. No Mark here.

Though this was originally going to be a short story collection, I decided to revert it to a single story when it became apparent that I wasn't going to be writing any others. I also fixed up quite a few typos from the original and generally improved the writing quality. If you read the original, it may be worth your time to reread it now. ...I hope.

A Narrow Escape

from Chapter 16: Whereabouts Unknown

Merlinus paused in busily cleaning his goods when a form caught his attention in his peripheral vision. Cocking his head out from under the edge of his tent, he squinted at the source of his distraction, only to find that what he'd thought to be a Pegasus knight was nothing more than a hawk gliding on a thermal above him.

The merchant sighed and mopped his brow before returning to his work. He was edgy without someone guarding him. He was also bored, as the weapons and tomes that he was rearranging could attest; the troop had scarcely moved out of sight around the corner of the castle, and this was his second time reorganizing everything. The tactician had been certain that nothing would harm him here, and he was inclined to believe her, but believing something and then being reassured by that belief were often two very different things.

A full minute hadn't passed before he was alerted to the sound of hoofbeats behind him. His first thought was relief; Alaya must have decided to send someone, likely Marcus, to guard his tent, after all. Relief turned to horror, however, the moment he turned around to greet his ally and saw black robes bearing down on him.

Merlinus frantically dove under the table with a shriek of terror when the foremost unit took a swipe at him that sent elixir bottles and vulneraries skittering across the ground. "AIEEEE! Lord Eliwood, Lord Hector! HELP!"

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Toward the rear of the group at Alaya's urging, Eliwood paused and glanced over his shoulder. "Hector, did you hear that?"

Nearby, his friend also stopped and looked back, then turned back with a raised eyebrow. "Hear what?"

"It sounded like..." Eliwood's hand clenched tightly on the hilt of his rapier when he heard it again, louder and more frantic. "Merlinus! He must be under attack!"

"By what, a rabid deer?" Hector remarked acerbically.

Eliwood shook his head and darted back down the trail they had come from. "Say what you like, we can't afford to lose him. Go with the others; I'll handle this!"

The young Lord was already halfway down the path by the time he finished speaking. Hector hesitated, Wolf Beil in hand, undecided on whether to do as his friend ordered or follow him. The sounds of battle ahead were enough to get his adrenaline pumping and he was eager to join it. After a moment of indecision, he decided to compromise and wait right where he was to see if he would be needed. It couldn't hurt to be careful.

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Eliwood rounded the corner to find a scene of chaos. Two Black Fang cavaliers ransacked the merchant's tent while Merlinus cowered under his counter, just barely out of reach of their lances. Without hesitation, the young Lord let out a battlecry and charged the attackers.

The nearest one scarcely had time to swing his horse around and find the source of the call before Eliwood was upon him, severing the saddle girth with a stroke of his rapier. The saddle slid off, taking the rider with it. The startled horse let out a shrill whinny and galloped away; a swift swordstroke to the heart prevented its rider from getting up to join it.

It had only taken a matter of seconds, but that had been more than enough time for the second cavalier to abandon his assault on Merlinus and maneuver his mount into position. Only fast reflexes saved Eliwood's right arm from a crippling wound. His twisting dodge incomplete, he still caught a glancing blow from the lancetip that cut into an unprotected part of his shoulder. Wincing, the Lord sprang back to avoid another lunge, ducked below the lance, and drove the rapier up into his opponent's arm. The man shouted in pain and reflexively dropped his weapon. Eliwood didn't pursue him as he clutched the reins with his uninjured hand and urged his horse into a gallop to escape.

Eliwood rushed to the tent. "Merlinus! Are you all right?"

The merchant crawled out from underneath his table. Eliwood helped him to his feet. "Not a scratch on me, thanks to you, my Lord! You have saved me once again! I am forever in your-" He cut off in a yelp. "Good heavens, here come more!"

Eliwood spun on his heel to see six more Black Fang cavaliers approaching in pairs, weapons bristling. "Gah...Merlinus, get out of here! Hide yourself in the forest until we call you!"

Needing no second bidding, the merchant scurried off. Eliwood set his jaw grimly and held his sword in a fighting stance, prepared to face the enemy head-on.

------

Hector determined that danger was past and had begun to continue on his way when the sound of hoofbeats behind him made him pause and look back. The first two cavaliers going past were no cause for alarm, but the second pair a moment later put him on alert. He spun on his heel and started down the path as fast as his armor would permit him to, but he was forced to pull up short when the final pair rounded the corner. Although he could hear the sounds of furious battle break out just beyond his range of sight, he could do nothing to aid Eliwood until these two were out of the way. Caution warring with an infuriated desire to simply plow through and aid his friend, he readied his hand axe and advanced.

The pair halted at the end of the path and took aim. Lefty fired first, shortly followed by the other; Hector sidestepped the first shot and raised his Wolf Beil to deflect the second. Their poor coordination gave him an ideal opening. While they realized their error and frantically reached for new arrows, he took advantage of their clumsy teamwork; dashing forward, he hurled his hand axe at the one on the right. It caught the archer's arm. The man yelled in pain and shifted his mount to the side, but the return stroke as the axe's path arced around sliced directly through his throat. He gurgled pathetically and toppled to the ground.

Hector caught his weapon on the rebound and ducked a second volley that narrowly missed his ear. Again, the archer had to reload, but this time he had the sense to pull his horse back as he did so. Hector took the opportunity to throw the hand axe; this archer had learned from his companion's mistake and urged his mount to gallop several paces to get well out of the axe's path. He let off his shot on the way. Hector turned sideways and let the arrow bounce off his shoulder plate, then gripped his Wolf Beil and spun, swinging out with the weapon. It knocked the archer from his perch with a sound like smacking wet meat with the crunch of breaking bone; Hector finished the job by bringing the blunt end of the axe down on his opponent's head with one hand. He easily caught the returning hand axe with the other.

He barely had time to register the victory when he heard a pained cry from around the corner. Sweat broke out on his forehead; he bolted into a run. Eliwood, don't you dare die on me now!

------

Eliwood put up a good fight for one man against four warhorses, but the tide was against him. As the first pair bore down on him, he twisted from the initial lance stroke and lunged for the saddle girth. The enemy horse reared; Eliwood stopped short and whirled away from its flailing hooves. The other rider struck out with his javelin when Eliwood's movement brought him back toward him. The young Lord let out a sound somewhere between a gasp and a shout when the tip slashed open his left side. Whipping around, he took hold of the javelin and slammed it back into its wielder's skull with all the strength he could muster. The man fell without making a sound until he hit the ground.

By now the second pair had joined the first, and Eliwood found himself surrounded and pinned against the castle wall. It would be suicide to try to slip out between the horses' stomping legs. He slashed aside a lance and shouted in pain as another's sword found its mark just below his left shoulder blade. He spun and struck out blindly, but only grazed his attacker's leg. Another lance dug into his right side. Without thinking, he twisted and it tore his flesh further before finally ripping free with a sickening tear.

The young Lord dropped to his knees and gasped sharply. One hand flew to the deep wound in his side to try to staunch the blood flow while the other raised his rapier to deflect another strike from the enemy sword. His eyes wanted to close, his body wanted to give out; yet he forced himself to stay alert.

It was fortunate he did, or he would have missed the sight of armored feet pounding toward him. Hector's battlecry, though, would have remained unmistakable. The cavalier with the sword turned at the sound and was met with the enraged noble's hand axe. The robed figure toppled from the saddle with a cry that was silenced when his own panicked horse trampled him in its haste to escape.

Eliwood took advantage of the disruption and, forcing himself to his feet, stumbled over the fallen body. The cavaliers attempted pursuit but were cut off as Hector charged into their midst with a furious bellow. He brought his Wolf Beil back for momentum and swung it out over his shoulder; the axe sliced through his target's lance and threw the rider from his horse with one mighty blow.

Hector rounded on the final cavalier, who hesitated an instant too long. The armor-clad Lord took two strides to close the distance between them and whirled the Wolf Beil over his head. It met empty air as the cavalier desperately pulled his horse back to avoid the blow. Hector stumbled with the momentum of his failed attack and flung his left arm up to protect his head from a thrown javelin; it glanced off his sturdy armor and he returned the favor by sending his hand axe spinning toward his enemy. The cavalier narrowly dodged by leaning to one side, then spurred his horse into a gallop and struck out with the lance as he passed. Hector turned his body, allowing the weapon to harmlessly skim across his armor, and swung his Wolf Beil on a diagonal path upward. It caught the rider a direct hit to his ribs; he was slain instantly. The force of the blow flung him from the saddle like a ragdoll.

Hector stood with the haft of his Wolf Beil resting on his shoulder plate until the adrenaline pumping through his body faded. Five Black Fang lay dead around the tent, and Eliwood, doubled over on his knees, gasping in pain, looked to be not far from joining them.

Heart pounding with a new panic, Hector hurried to his friend's side. He struggled to keep the anxiety out of his voice as he knelt behind Eliwood and pulled him back into a more comfortable position in his lap. "They're gone now, take it easy..." He glanced toward the tent and called, "Merlinus, it's clear! We need an elixir!"

Eliwood opened his eyes and blinked groggily. "Hector..." He paused, gathering his wits about him. "Thank you. You saved my life."

Hector swallowed hard. Now that he could take a closer look, he realized that Eliwood was in an even worse condition than he'd first though. "We made an oath, remember? There's no way I'm leaving you to...to fight on your own."

Eliwood knew full well what his friend had started to say. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath, then exhaled sharply and winced as pain wracked his torso. He didn't relax again until it dulled enough to let him speak. "I remember. I'll hold you to it." He forced his eyes open to look back up at his friend and managed a weak smile. "I'm glad you don't listen."

Hector smirked. "Now you know why. ...MERLINUS!"

The merchant finally emerged from the forest and scuttled to his tent. He paused only long enough to steal a glance at Eliwood's injuries, and the sight sent him scrambling to gather the fallen elixirs. "Oh, my...oh my, oh my, oh my!"

Hector took the elixir that was finally offered to him, uncorked it and gently lifted Eliwood's head. The young Lord barely had the strength needed to grasp the bottle and drink it himself; he succeeded, with difficulty, and slumped back with his eyes closed to let the healing properties to take effect. Gradually the haze of pain began to fade; the blood loss slowed and finally stopped altogether. Eliwood took two deep, cautious breaths to make certain that the elixir had finished its work. No pain flared at the sites of his injuries. Grunting, he slowly pushed himself upright. "Ungh...remind me not to do that again."

Hector chuckled nervously. "Will I really need to remind you?"

Eliwood unconsciously rubbed where the lance had torn a sizable chunk of flesh from his right side. It still didn't feel right, but Serra or Priscilla would be able to take care of that. The young Lord shuddered at the memory of his far-too-close call. "No."

Hector stood and pulled his friend to his feet. "We'd best get back to the others and make sure the battle's going well. Are you feeling okay? Can you walk?"

Eliwood took several tentative steps and nodded. "Yes, I'm all right. I will have Serra or Priscilla check on me later, but I'm fine for now." He straightened and turned to the nearby merchant, who had been hovering about wringing his hands throughout the recovery. "Merlinus, I want you to pack up and go back to the forest. Stay there until we come back for you. I don't want a repeat of this."

"O-Of course, Lord Eliwood," the merchant stuttered. He began gathering his things, muttering to himself about certain tacticians needing more training all the while.

Hector glanced toward Eliwood as they both started walking up the path leading to the castle's inner courtyard. "Speaking of tacticians, I believe a little talk with a certain green-robed one is in order."

Eliwood sighed. "Perhaps, but remember that none of us expected such an attack. We will just need to make certain that Merlinus always has a guard in the future. Don't be too hard on Alaya; she has served us well in the past, and one error in judgment is not enough for me to question her skill."

"I'll give you that one," Hector responded with a sigh of his own. "Even so, a reminder couldn't hurt."

"I know. I'll talk to her after Castle Caelin is back under proper control."

"Then we'd best make certain that it happens as soon as possible." Hector broke into an easy lope. "Come on, we have a battle to finish!"

"H-Hey, wait a moment!" Eliwood picked up his pace, which only made his friend grin and run faster. The young Lord shook his head and, speeding up to keep from falling too far behind, grinned widely. "Hector...you'll never change. And I wouldn't want you to."