Of Sorcery and Strategy

by Salemstar

My first fic. Another novelization of FE 7. In this one, Mark, the tactician, is also a competent sage. I am not following the dialogue of the game exactly, only the major plot points. Tactician/Lyn, possibly other pairings. Not graphic.

10. The One Ring

Of Sorcery and Strategy

Disclaimer: I don't own Fire Emblem or any of the characters, Nintendo and Intelligent Systems do. All I own are the minor plot changes.

Chapter 10: The One Ring

Mark didn't know how long the energetic feeling would last, and so he had everyone get up and head towards the inn. He didn't want to be blocking the road when everyone eventually crashed and burned. As everyone started moving, Mark headed over to Florina, the priest and the boy.

Upon getting closer to the trio, Mark noticed something that made him do a double-take. The priest was actually a monk. Priests could wield light magic, but they did so through staves, whereas monks used books. The stranger was carrying a book, and thus was a monk. Now Mark was confused, because only men could be Monks, but if this monk was a man, he had gender issues. As he pulled alongside Huey, he decided not to take any chances.

"Well done Florina. You have my thanks, stranger. I was about to take drastic measures to deal with the mage."

When the stranger spoke, the voice was definitely male. "I was glad to help. I saw your play to keep them distracted, and I was impressed how well it worked. Not many can face a shaman for so long and live to tell about it."

"Shaman. I forgot that's what they're called. Anyway, I am Mark, you've met Florina, and the Sacaen lady headed our way is Lyn. She is on a quest, and we are her escort."

The stranger nodded at him and said, "A pleasure to meet you Mark. I am Lucius, a monk in the Elimine order. I had seen the boy earlier today, and when he returned with Florina here asking for help against a group of shamans, I could not turn him away. May I ask where you are traveling?"

Mark nodded. "We head to Caelin. Lyn is a part of an inheritance dispute, and the rest of us are here to make sure she lives. It's a big dispute. Big, like, for the throne."

Lucius didn't seem surprised. "Yes, I'd heard rumors about the Marquess' long-lost granddaughter. I too, am traveling in Caelin's direction. Perhaps we could join forces for awhile?"

Mark was pleased. "A monk would not be amiss in this party. We'd be glad to join you." At this, he turned to the boy, who had previously been staying quiet and out of the situation. "Perhaps now would be a good time for you to tell us your story, young sir."

The boy jumped off Huey and gave a bow. Mark gave him points for presentation, poise, and balance. He didn't say anything though. The boy started telling his story while Mark and Lyn listened. "My name is Nils. My sister, my twin, is called Ninian. We are traveling performers, and we had stopped at this village. We were going to put on a show in exchange for food and a room, when those men came calling. They've, they've been after us for awhile. We managed to avoid them in the past, but the crowd at that inn wasn't willing to risk danger for two young children who were probably thieves. They took both Ninian and myself. I managed to get away, but they separated us and I couldn't find Ninian, so I went to get help."

Mark gave the situation some thought, before Lyn pulled him aside. "Mark, I know we're on a tight schedule, and I don't wish to delay without reason, but I have a feeling we should help the boy."

Mark looked at her while contemplating the pros and cons of helping the boy. Finally, he said "I agree. He obviously needs our help, and to the people trying to capture him, we've already declared ourselves against him. We can't just stand to the side now and expect them to forgive us. Besides, something that shaman said is bothering me."

Lyn waited for a few moments for Mark to continue, and when he did not, she prompted him, "Well? What did the shaman say?"

For a second, Mark had been so lost in thought he didn't notice Lyn still there waiting for him to explain. "Oh, right. Well, the shaman said something like 'Don't play games with the Black Fang.' I've heard of this Black Fang before."

He paused again to gather his thoughts, and continued. "They're a group of assassins based out of Bern. They started as a bunch of assassins targeting only those nobles who deserved death, but then something changed. Now, they'll supposedly take on any job where they get paid well. They've also moved their operations all over the continent."

Lyn took a moment to adjust to this new information, before asking the obvious question. "And, how do you know this?"

"The assassination team that killed the Marquess I used to work for was Black Fang. They have a reputation for being the best, and they're very expensive. I remember, because I was surprised the Marquess' son would go to so much trouble to kill his own father." Mark had a blank face as he spoke, as if he were trying to suppress his memories and emotions.

Lyn wasn't done asking questions. "You said the son sent assassins after you as well. Were they Black Fang too?"

Mark shook his head. "I doubt it. If they were, they were new recruits. If the son had hired the Black Fang to come after me, I don't think I'd be alive."

Lyn was somewhat shaken at this. Mark had seemed almost invincible to her. To hear he himself thought this group could kill him if they wanted to, well, it was a scary thought. "Do you think we have a chance?"

"At what, rescuing Ninian? Yeah, if we can find her. The Black Fang are assassins, not warriors. Give them a target that doesn't know he's being hunted, and they're in their element. We, however, and meeting them head on as an army. We shouldn't have problems facing them in combat. Finding them, however, is a different matter. An assassin's greatest ability is his ability to not be seen. Their fortress is likely an old fort or something equally unlikely to attract attention, and it will probably be hidden in a valley or alongside a cliff."

While saying this, he started walking back to the group. As he finished his conversation with Lyn, he turned to Nils. "Do you know where they have your sister? Any ideas as to where to look?"

Nils thought for a moment. "I don't know where they have her. When I escaped, I headed north and happened upon the inn. I believe I was on the other side of those mountains." He indicated a small range to the south, where a fortress of some sort could easily be hidden. Mark turned back to the group and issued orders.

"Alright. Let's head back to the inn and regroup. If we are going to take on the Black Fang, I want to make sure we're ready for this."

Lyndis' Legion had slowly been moving in the direction of the inn during the previous conversations. The building was finally in sight, and everyone trooped inside. They had just gathered around a couple of tables when Nils broke off from the group.

"NINIAN!" He took off toward a girl with long green hair and a matching dress. One leg was elevated on a nearby chair, and Mark could see her ankle was swollen. She looked up at hearing her name, and her beautiful face broke into a grin at seeing her brother. Sitting at the table with her was a tall man with red hair and the bearing of a noble. He turned to assess the newcomer. Mark saw the man's hand go to his sword until he saw the obvious similarities between Ninian and Nils.

"Nils! You're alright. When Eliwood rescued me from those evil men and we found no trace of you, I feared the worst."

"I'm alright, sister. I escaped from them, and went to find help to rescue you. Come, I'll introduce you to the friends who would have saved you had it not been for this Eliwood."

Next to Mark, Kent and Sain came to attention. Mark noticed. "What is it?"

Kent looked almost scandalized that Mark didn't know what it was, but Sain gave him a straight answer. "Eliwood is the son of Marquess Pherae. We are in the presence of two nobles."

Mark was used to being around nobility, and so wasn't really in awe, but he was impressed that this Eliwood had gone out of his way to rescue the girl. He spoke to Lyn about his thoughts. "He reminds me of the Marquess of Eastern Ilia. Of course, it could be that he couldn't resist the call of a damsel in distress, but something tells me that isn't it."

Lyn nodded. "I know what you mean. Just from looking at him, I get the feeling that he cares about others. I suppose that's always a good thing in a noble."

Before he could censor his words, Mark blurted out, "I suppose that means you'd make an excellent ruler."

Lyn couldn't help but think Mark looked rather cute as he tried to hide his embarrassment. It was a weirdly-worded compliment, but she could tell he meant it nonetheless, and a slight blush graced her cheeks.

The awkward moment passed when the lord himself came over. "Excuse me, but Nils indicated you were in charge here?" He spoke to Lyn, but seemed to recognize Mark's role as advisor, for he include Mark in his statement. Lyn answered him. "Yes. I am Lyn, and the others follow me on a quest to see my grandfather, the Marquess of Caelin. We have been beset by enemies ever since day one, when I met with Mark, my personal advisor."

Mark liked the sound of the title she gave him, but put it out of his mind for the moment. He stood and bowed. "Lord Eliwood, I thank you for the service you've done the girl. I had little hope of finding her when she was hidden by the Black Fang, but it seems you were able."

The lord actually blushed slightly at the praise, but he waved it off. "I was riding through the countryside to meet a friend of mine, when I saw a group of black-robed men on horses, and the girl was tied to one of the mounts. I feared the worst, and followed the group. They stopped for a drink by the river at one point. They left the girl unguarded, and I took the chance to free her and bring her back here. When she was conscious, she kept asking about her brother. I was going to wait until morning to go out looking for him, but it seems there's no need now. And for that, I thank you. Now, would you tell me more about your story, Lyn?"

Lyn was more than willing to oblige, and Mark got up to get a drink of water. On the way back, he was accosted by Ninian, who wanted to thank him for his role in defeating the men chasing Nils. He told her it was no trouble, and when he got back to Lyn and Eliwood, she had summed up her travels.

Mark walked back just when Eliwood was offering his aid. Lyn seemed to realize that aid from Eliwood was more than just another sword arm, because she turned to give Mark a questioning look. Mark gave it some thought before answering slowly.

"Lord Eliwood, I do appreciate the offer, but I'm not sure your direct aid would be a good idea."

Eliwood seemed surprised. "Why not?"

Again, Mark was careful with how he worded his response. "Well, any aid from you, whether it be your personal assistance, or less direct assistance in the form of supplies or soldiers, would be seen as a declaration of Pherae's support behind Lyn. I have recently come to realize that all of Lycia is monitoring the situation closely. After the fiasco at Araphen, I'm wary about accepting aid that would have political ramifications. Lundgren hasn't started gathering allies to himself yet, and until he does, I think we should try not to cause a conflict that could lead to a civil war."

Eliwood reluctantly nodded his acceptance of this reasoning, before standing. "Well, I'll be in the area for the next week or so. If Lundgren does make a move to bring the other provinces into this, come find me and I'll gain you some allies."

Mark stood as well and bowed again. "Fair enough, Lord Eliwood. I thank you for the generous offer."

At this, Eliwood excused himself. Mark and Lyn watched as he walked over to Ninian and Nils. Eliwood said something to Ninian, who hugged him in return. He then patted Nils on the head, before turning and heading for the door.

Mark turned back to Lyn. "If all Lycian nobles were like the two of you, this country would have no problems. Anyway, why don't you come meet Ninian?"

Mark and Lyn walked over to the twins, and Mark introduced Ninian and Lyn. Ninian shyly thanked Lyn for aiding her, and Lyn blushed and looked down at her feet. Mark thought the two might be having a contest on who could act more embarrassed, and he honestly couldn't tell who was winning. Rather suddenly, Ninian started making twisting motions on her right ring finger with the thumb, index, and middle fingers of her left hand. Mark figured it was a habit when she got nervous, but she did a double-take and looked more closely at her right ring finger before giving a soft "Oh" of surprise.

Lyn looked up. "What is it? What's wrong?"

Ninian tried to deflect her attention. "It's nothing. It's not important. I just, well, my ring is gone."

Nils entered the conversation at this point. "Your ring? The same one mother gave you? Curses! Those men must have taken it. No doubt they thought it a pretty little keepsake."

Lyn looked like she could relate. Mark realized she probably could. She probably had an item or two that she treasured because they came from her mother. She looked at him pleadingly, and he motioned to the corner with his head.

Lyn started making her case the moment Ninian and Nils were out of earshot. "Mark, I remember what you said during the fight for the Mani Katti. I know I shouldn't be risking everyone's lives to find a simple ring, but I know what it's like to lose something so close to you. Please, Mark, is there anything we can do?"

Mark put a hand on her shoulder to calm her down. "Yes Lyn, there is. We can find their hideout and raid it. Now, normally I would be against this, no matter how valuable the ring is. However, you and Ninian are in luck. The Black Fang suffered a setback, but they're not defeated. And I don't want to have them at our back. It would be best if we ended this now."

Before Lyn could get another word in, he turned to everyone else. "Alright, listen up. The Black Fang is not a force to be trifled with, and we've caught their attention. Ninian and Nils will be in danger until everyone chasing them has been dealt with, and we are as well. In order to protect ourselves, we're going to be launching a preemptive strike on their stronghold. I want you all to get a good night's sleep. Tomorrow, we head to the southern mountain range and search for their fortress."

By now, the group had learned not to question Mark's orders. If he said they needed to strike the Black Fang first, then it probably needed to be done. There was no arguing from anyone as everyone paired up with a roommate. Mark and Erk paired up immediately, and got a room while everyone else was still trying not to be the one with Serra.

Mark was in his room when there was a knock on the door. He half expected it to be Lyn, but it turned out to be Ninian and Nils. The two spoke simultaneously the minute he opened the door. "We wish to travel with you."

Mark was starting to tire, and so his usual eloquence wasn't present. "What?"

"Nils and I have been talking. After the Black Fang has been defeated, we should be safe for awhile, but we've nowhere to go, and we owe you a debt for helping with us. You've seen Nils rejuvenating powers firsthand, and we have another ability that may be of help to you."

Mark was definitely interested. Nils' power fascinated him, and the mention of another power was exciting. "What is this other ability?"

Nils answered this time. "We can sense danger when it's close. We can't tell you exactly what kind of danger, but we can sense it. If there are hostiles within a mile or so, we'll be able to tell you."

"That's right useful. Well, I'd be glad to have you, but you have to follow my lead. Neither of you are fighters, and I don't want you to get injured. And technically, Lyn is the leader of this group. I'm just her advisor. Talk to her, and tell her I recommend that you travel with us."

The twins nodded and disappeared, and Mark closed the door. Both he and Erk were starting to lose the effects of whatever spell Nils had cast earlier. As a result, they were silent as they got ready for bed. Mark had no dreams that night.

The next day, there was a rush to get everyone ready for the battle. When Florina woke up, Mark told her to take off to the southern hills and search for the enemy fortress. When she was gone, he turned to everyone else and started spurning them on. He was ready to go, and he wanted to end this situation as soon as possible in order to get back on the road to Caelin. He had the strangest feeling that speed was of the essence, even though there wasn't much to indicate it was.

Mark suddenly realized what was bothering him as he was waiting for everyone else to get ready. He walked over to Kent to discuss his concerns.

"Hey, Kent. I have a question for you. We've been assuming that Marquess Caelin has no knowledge of Lundgren's attempts to kill Lyn, or he would put a stop to them. But Lundgren has put at least two, possible three operations in place to end Lyn's life. How could he plan this right under the Marquess' nose?"

Kent thought about the answer for awhile, before paling. He had reached the same conclusion Mark had. "The easiest way would be if the Marquess was disposed. And if he's willing to send assassins after Lyn, then perhaps…"

Mark finished the sentence. "Then perhaps he's also willing to end the Marquess' life. He would have to do it quietly, because he would be chased out of Caelin if there was any proof. That would explain why we haven't heard any hint of this before. Still, there is now some urgency in reaching Caelin with all due speed. We can't leave the Black Fang behind us, but we can't really afford any more detours either. Who's going to tell Lyn?"

Kent pointed at him. "I've seen your eloquent tongue. You'd probably do a better job than I."

Mark nodded reluctantly. "Very well." Quietly, so Kent couldn't hear, he added, "Coward."

He walked over to Lyn. "Lyn, we need to talk."

Lyn looked up in surprise. Mark had rarely been so serious around her. The two often teased each other and joked around. Unless he was in 'tactician mode,' Mark being serious rarely boded well. If he was in 'tactician mode,' then it depended on whose side you were on. If you were on his side, it was great. If not, it sucked.

She followed him to a quiet corner, and he started talking without preamble. "I've been talking to Kent. We were discussing how Lundgren could be organizing these assassination attempts on you without your grandfather's notice."

Unlike Kent, Lyn drew the wrong conclusion. "And you think the Marquess is in on the plan, and this is just some big ruse?"

Mark shook his head. "It could be, but I doubt it. Kent and I agree that Lundgren probably has done something to the Marquess, to keep him indisposed. The Marquess is probably still alive, as I don't see how he could be dead without anyone realizing it, but he's either 'injured' or 'sick,' and Lundgren is ruling in his absence. It makes the most sense. It wouldn't really cause concern, and thus rumors wouldn't spread all over, but it would give Lundgren free reign."

Lyn tried to digest this new information. "So, what now? Do we forget about the Black Fang and head for Caelin with all due speed?"

Again, Mark shook his head. "The Fang is a dangerous enemy. It would be unwise to turn our backs to them. Still, after this, Caelin has to be our priority, and we need to move faster. We thought we had time, and so we haven't been moving quickly, but we need to start."

Lyn nodded at this, and Mark asked another question. "Did Ninian and Nils talk to you last night?"

"They did. After hearing about their special abilities, I'm glad they've offered us their services. Why?"

"Well, when I recruited Dorcas without telling you, you gave me the super-secret-Sacaen-stare-of-severe-scorching, and I had to beg on bended knee for your forgiveness."

Lyn was secretly impressed at Mark's ability to come up with that on the spot, and she was glad to return to the banter she enjoyed with him. The two continued poking fun at each other, until Serra finally found her other slipper and stopped yelling at Matthew for his 'thievery.' Poor guy hadn't even had the pleasure of doing what he got blamed for. Everyone was now ready.

They left the inn and followed the rode until it veered east. They continued south, and had made it to the base of the foothills when Florina finally returned. She had found the Black Fang's hideout, and it turned out to be in the next valley. After a short walk, the fortress was in sight.

It wasn't really a fortress. It was an old abandoned farm house, but from the farmhouse there was a long tunnel that led under the mountain. Mark figured that would be the real fortress. Still, something struck him as off about the farmhouse.

The legion carefully approached. Everyone dismounted, and Mark set the formation. Kent was in front with Dorcas, Sain in the back with Lyn, and everyone else in the middle. The inside of the farmhouse was one big room, and there was a door at the back which led to the tunnel towards the mountain.

Mark wouldn't have spotted it if he wasn't looking for something of the sort. "This space is too small."

Matthew was closest to him, and said, "What?"

"The outside is bigger than the inside. There's another room here somewhere, and its entrance is secret. Think about it. Why have an obviously visible farmhouse for a hideout when one can dig into the side of a mountain and cover it up? The answer? An ambush. Enemies would walk in here, notice the empty room, and head to the tunnel. At the other end of that tunnel, the Black Fang is waiting, but the enemy doesn't realize something. There are more Fang troops in this hidden room, and they're waiting until the enemy is in the tunnel. That way the Fang can strike from both sides."

This was logical, as were most things Mark said, so Kent asked the question everyone was thinking. "So now we look for the entrance to this secret room?"

Mark thought for a moment, then shook his head slowly. "No, I don't think so. This tactic works so well because the enemy is taken by surprise. Remember, the Fang are not hand-to-hand fighters. They attack from the shadows and retreat. I think it'd be smarter to set off their trap."

This wasn't logical, at least to the others, and there was chaos. Mark shouted for quiet, and explained. "We are ready for them. We'll have both front and rear covered, and the situation will work to our advantage. In that narrow tunnel we can deal with them one at a time without worrying about being flanked. We take them one at a time until they're all defeated, just like we did to those bandits on the border between Bern and Lycia. This time, however, we have more people, and the space we'll be fighting in isn't as wide. Kent and Sain can block the ends as Rath, Wil, Erk, Lucius and myself strike from afar. When Kent and Sain get tired or injured, Lyn, Dorcas and Florina can take over for awhile, and we'll keep switching so no one gets overworked. Serra and Nils can keep everyone healthy and energized."

Almost as an afterthought, Mark turned to Ninian. "You'll have to try to stay against the wall. With your injury, it wouldn't be a good idea to try to get involved." Ninian nodded, and that was that.

No one could think of a better plan, so the group got into the formation Mark had indicated and moved into the tunnel. The battle proceeded just as Mark suspected. About halfway through, the door in front and the door in back both opened and the Black Fang entered the tunnel. Mark made sure everyone was facing forward, so the Fang in back didn't realize they were discovered. He cast a spell that created a mirror surface in front of him, so he could keep an eye on the Fang behind them. When they were close enough, he shouted "Now!"

It was a rout. The Fang was not prepared to have their trap turned on them. There were only six men behind the group, and they were easily dealt with. Sain engaged in combat with two. Using his lance, he speared one, before withdrawing the lance and holding it vertically to block a strike from the other. He then proceeded to take advantage of the man's bad balance. He struck the man on the head before the Fang member could recover. Wil, Rath, Erk, Lucius and Mark were all facing behind to quickly deal with the lesser threat. Wil and Rath both shot the same approaching member, Erk fried another, and Mark froze a third. Matthew didn't really want to be left out of the fun, so he dashed from his position in the shadows and had a short duel with the last member. Neither one was very good at combat, and it was almost embarrassing to watch. Eventually, Lucius got tired of watching the debacle, and sent a holy lighting bolt at the enemy, killing him.

Everyone turned around to see Lyn had taken Kent's place, and Florina was beside her. There were nine Fang in front, not including the three Kent had already dealt with. As Mark watched, Nils pulled out his flute and played a short tune. Kent got the full effect, but Lyn perked up slightly, and Mark himself felt a wave of something refreshing, but it wasn't nearly as powerful as the spell Nil had wrought earlier. Lyn had managed to down two more bandits during this time, and Florina then parried a blow from a third before counterattacking and ending his life as Mark watched. Wil and Rath each downed another with headshots, and there were four left. Erk and Lucius teamed up to deal with one, and Dorcas arrived from the back with his hand-axe to kill another. One of the last two got close enough for Mark to pull his own bow. He would have to shoot sideways to hit an ally, so he felt safe enough attempting the shot. He fitted an arrow and fired, and struck the soldier in the stomach. He quickly ended the man's agony with a fireball. The last member was taken care of by Kent, who was feeling good enough to get back in the action.

Mark stopped to make sure everyone was okay. Lyn had a small cut, but it was easily healed by Serra, and no one else was harmed at all. His plan had worked like a charm.

"Oh. I hadn't actually expected that plan to succeed this well."

A/N-I've decided to end the fight there, because this chapter is long enough already. I think I'm starting to get good at writing scenes that are entirely different from the story, yet at the same time are very much the same. I also wasn't really happy with Mark as a tactician. I've been having him call the shots, but until now, I haven't written a scene like this, where he succeeds when anyone else would have failed. I am writing him as a master tactician, not a novice, and so I like how he recognized the trap, and turned it to his advantage. Anyway, let me know what you think.