Well the broken record plays again...I'm sorry. This past year was rough and I couldn't work up the enthusiasm to write for fun very much. Suffice to say I had a couple of life crises to deal with on top of a sadistic university semester. I also ended up having to restart this chapter a couple of times for various reasons. Not going to bore you with details beyond that. Anyway I apologize to again and have made a New Years resolution to do much better at staying on top of this but at this point I doubt my word really means much to anybody, so I'm going to endeavor to rebuild my shattered reputation. I sincerely thank everyone who has had the patience to stick with me thus far.
To...
Lazruth: You're observations concerning the relationship between Lyn and Link is really interesting. I can see how you may have noticed that even if it wasn't my intention. Perhaps that is something for me to keep in mind from now on and maybe I'll expand on it. Any way I'm glad you liked the chapter and the character interactions and I hope you will continue to enjoy my story.
Shardheart: Heh thanks for the review. Coming up with that explanation of magic took me freaking forever! I'm glad it worked out though and it seems to be getting approval. And yes, I AM happy I made yopu do work to improve your own writing!
Ranma Uzumaki: Thanks! Glad you liked it!
Anarion Star-Dragon: I'm sorry for making you wait so long for this update. I know how frustrating it can be but I'm glad you liked it thus far and I hope I maintain your expectations of this story.
chm01: I'm still debating on bringing in the other Zelda characters...honestly I hadn't planned on it at all and was instead thinking about something far in the future concerning them but at this rate I'm not sure anymore. I AM however planning an interesting twist later down the road, if I ever get there...
WildfireDreams: Thanks! I make you wait far too long...
Rini Tsukino: Ah, one of my favorite reviewers...Glad to see you're still around! I'm so glad that you liked what I did with my last chapter! I really try to make the characters flush out more than the game. I mean you never really learn much about most of the characters other than basic personality and some minor info from support conversations. So I try to build on them and make them as personable as I can while maintaining my own image of them, and it makes for good fluff. Good fluff is important to a good story. I'm glad you like Kent's rival although I feel that I made him a bit too generic...oh well, he's more of a filler character than anything else. Yeah Matthew was a bit MIA in the last chapter as well as this one but he comes back with a vengeance in the next one! And yes Link is oblivious, I mean come on, pretty much every eligible girl in Hyrule has a crush on him and he has no clue. Women...the ultimate mystery... I'm also quite glad that you like my explanation of magic, it took me forever and I have some interesting things planned for the mixing of magics. As for Link's past...everyone is curious, some more than others, and a few have suspicions but nothing solid yet. It will be revealed eventually but as to when... I can't say yet. Just have to find out as it comes. Hope you're still around as well, I always love your input and reviews! (P.S: Awesomer is totally a word in my books!)
Darklink1011: Yeah I'm alive. Barely sometimes but haven't kicked the bucket yet.
Herr Wozzeck: Yeah it's been awhile. I suck at this, but I'm glad you like what I do even if it takes forever.
Josh Dragonheart: Thanks! Glad you like it so much. Now if only I could update more regularly...
wraith54: Yeah a chapter a month would be good and Im gonna try and shoot for that this year. It's my New Years resolution.
Greener223: Thanks for you're advice about Author's Notes, I'll try to keep that in mind. I like to use them to as time to get out some of my own frustrations as well as clarify any parts I think may be a little confusing.
Shadow Zeranion: Yeah this last chapter as well as this one now deals a lot with character development and how Link's presence changes the world. He is essentially taking the place of the tactition and the thought that birthed this story to begin with was "Hey, how would this change if it was Link?" So in my opinion I can't just through Link into the world and have him do everything. He interacts with everyone and it affects things and since he can't be everywhere at once, things are bound to happen to the others. Thanks for the review and I hope my writing continues to live up to your expectations.
meh: Thanks!
Anmynous: Heh, an interesting idea...and as for your overpowered worries...well just keep it in mind for now and you'll see why I do it (at least I hope you will if I ever get there). And I also plan on flushing out the magic thing later on as well so no worries there.
Windraider: Thanks for your support! I really appreciate it!
Twilightfairy: No, Link has not yet found his match in this world, but trust me when I say he's not going to be invincible. I have a big plan for him in Eliwood's story that hopefully will blow a few minds.
The Invisible Fan: I'm glad you like my character development. I think it's important that the characters aren't flat and overlooked. I know a bunch of them are probably going to fall by the wayside since there are so many but I try to make them as real and appealing as I can. And yes the differences in world's will be discussed in the future as well as magic. Thanks for your vote as well and I hope you continue to read and enjoy.
OniKiDD: Your praise is greatly appreciated and I am so glad that you like this story! I'm going to try and update much more quickly this year so I hope to reward your patience.
Turtleman579: Thank you very much for your constructive criticism. Honestly I'm glad to get these if they are honest and well thought out. I'm glad you approve of the story and characters and I'm also glad that you can understand everything. I try to edit things pretty extensively myself before posting but I still miss things and I am fully aware that I am a comma splice master. I just can't seem to get the sucker right even after several University English courses. As for the paragraph breaks I try to use them to keep things structured because I have a hard time reading some fanfics that are just one great big blob of text with nothing separating quotations or anything, but perhaps I take it to too much of an extreme. I'll try to work on everything you said but the changes might be slow. I also know Epona's entry is a little forced but I do have an explanation of how she got there. Maybe I'll write an omake about it if I don't get to it in the story. As for the update time, I fully agree with you. I can do much better and I plan on it this year. And I accept that I do deserve to be shot with a knife so take aim and fire if you still desire. Thanks for your opinions about crossover pairings as well, I never thought about it like that. Lastly, yes I DO have plans for Nino and you hit the nail on the head - she DOES look like Saria! Thank you again for your words!
The21stGenerationHairstyle: Yes I tried to portray the others thinking that Florina meant the kiss transferred medicine, cliche I know but I couldn't resist!
AzureEnding: Wow that's some pretty heavy praise! Thanks I really appreciate it! Heh, I hope I continue to love up to your expectations.
Vuxxa: I'm glad you feel as I do about Link and his total awesomesauceness! Heck I'm still debating whether or not he's already done his little adventure in Soul Calibur 2!
Megatoast: Yes, Link's masks will definitely make an appearance but not for a little while yet.
Xoroth: Thank you very much!
ShiningCrazyDiamond: Heh, I'm not desperate for reviews but they do make writing things like this truly worthwhile so thanks you very much. And yeah I have heard and read a bit of "The Burning Blade," I'm not sure who the author is but he does a much better job of updating than myself. Still, I came first! Haha! Thanks for your advice, every bit is useful to me!
Dessel Ordo: Yeah I really want to get into the next part where things start to get really crazy but it's such a long process. Almost there though, hopefully it'll be worth the wait.
Fenix of the Light: Yes I do and I plan on doing better. Lyn's story will definitely be completed and I hope to tackle Eliwood's soon.
Linkfreak210: I know I replied to you in an e-mail but I want to thank you again for being willing to do this! It means a lot to me and I can't wait to see what you do!
Obiki Doragon: Glad you like my story. As for connecting the dots between the Master Sword, lets just say that Lucius has a suspicion but the others for now just accept that Link is carrying a well enchanted sword. After all magic weapons exist in their world too.
JustAPerson: Thank you for your praise and acceptance of Link's awesomeness! The masks will make an appearance later so don't worry there. I hope to maintain you're interest and feed your intrigue! Haha and thanks for your vote!
Jack Fire: Thanks!
Well that's it for the Reader's Response and so without further ado (and about time) I present:
Whom She Found
Chapter 13
A Matter of Life and Death
Kent was floating in blackness; an endless abyss that enveloped his body and only lent him the feeling of cold. He felt no pain, no fear - no sensation at all other than the penetrating cold. He tried to move but discovered that no part of his body would respond. He couldn't even move his head to see the rest of his himself. He wasn't even sure if he was breathing.
"Am I dead?" He thought to himself. "Is this what awaits us? This darkness?"
He tried to sigh but that also proved impossible and Kent realized that it was distinctly possible that he no longer had a body at all. The thought should have shocked him but he was surprised to find that it didn't. But then again he had collapsed fully knowing the severity of the wound he had sustained. Perhaps that prior knowledge kept his subconscious from dwelling on the hope of life. It made sense to him at least.
With this new-found enlightenment Kent resigned himself to the darkness. It wasn't so bad, all in all. Despite the cold he felt at peace and would not have been surprised if he had already been floating for days or even years. He had no sensory perception at all to judge the passing of time and even the cold he felt may merely be his consciousness adjusting to losing his warm body. Kent could very easily slip completely into oblivion and he would never realize it. Even now his thoughts were the only things that made him realize he still existed, but those were quickly slowing down as well.
He attempted to keep his thought processes going and struggled against the surprising difficulty of doing so. He thought about his past, his family, and friends. He remembered his mistakes, his trials, and his struggles. He recalled so many moments with such clarity that it almost felt like he was looking at his life through a third person view. He had lived a good life and felt satisfied with it. Sure there were things that he had wanted to do and accomplish but for the time he had done a lot and felt little regret. Until his memories arrived at his most recent ones. He remembered Lyndis, the women whom he had pledged his service. He remembered their struggles and the daunting task she still had to face. He had sworn to see her reunited with her grandfather and claim her place on the throne. Those were the last orders he had been given and he had left them unfulfilled. He had failed his marquess and broken his own personal vows.
Kent realized that there was no way he could be at peace with that regret weighing on his soul especially since he would have no way of knowing how it would turn out. The knight was suddenly filled with an intense desire to live. That desire immediately caused him to focus on every possible outcome that could happen without his presence and made that desire sharpen even greater. As his desire to live increased he felt a warm sensation flicker like a candle from his core. Soon the warmth grew and spread to every fiber of his being and beat back the previous cold.
He fought against the absorbing blackness, refusing to succumb to its cold embrace. He had to find a way back but with no sense of direction he had no way of knowing how to get there. It was while he was searching frantically for something to anchor himself that he heard the whispers. His mind froze when he registered the sound that was not his own thoughts. He strained to make out what the whispers were saying but they were too soft. However, Kent immediately focused his attention on the sounds and willed himself to move closer. At first nothing seemed to happen but he soon noticed that slowly the whispers were growing louder and Kent began to pick out words within the muffled sounds.
….ok….live….
Done…..can….him
Fault….Kent….
….blood….will….
How could…wound….
….filthy….behind…..coward…
The words caused excitement to grow in Kent's mind when he recognized them as his friends. He struggled to follow their voices and make out what they were saying but the words seemed to drift in and out of his conscious mind. Then a new sound made itself known. It sounded like….music? Yes, there was music. A song had replaced the voices, but it was much clearer to him than the words had been. As he listened the gentle tune grew louder and Kent noticed that he began to feel heavier in relation. The sudden influx of weight caused his mind enough shock to jumble all sound back into incomprehensible nonsense and he unconsciously let out a groan.
Sharp gasps were followed by deathly silence and Kent briefly wondered if he had slipped back into darkness. That thought was quickly banished when he noticed a dull glow that would have been been barely perceivable by anyone else. However to him who had been floating in complete blackness; it was as bright as a fire at twilight. Slowly he opened his eyes.
xxx
Lyn was beside herself with worry as she sat next to Kent. The red haired knight was lying on his deathbed and there was nothing she could do about it. Serra had managed to get to him soon enough after he collapsed to prevent his immediate death but at this point he could go in either direction. Luckily they had managed to take shelter in a small nearby village in order to treat him better. Serra, for once, had been deathly quiet compared to her usual demeanour and focused entirely on the task of healing her comrade. She had used up her entire supply of vulneraries and exhausted herself using her staff. It wasn't just the wound and loss of blood that she had to deal with, she was also fighting to keep Kent's life force from slipping away. Link was asked if he had anymore of the same medicine he used on Florina but by the time he had got there Serra had used a lot of vulneraries and he did not know what would happen if they mixed medicines. Serra had agreed with him claiming that, if misused, what could heal could just as easily harm. When the cleric had emerged from the room saying she had done all she could, the announcement had sparked Lyn's current bout of worry.
The other members were not faring much better. Sain was pacing around the room muttering curses and wishing it had been him instead, Link was leaning against a wall with arms crossed, Florina was huddled in a corner with her arms round her knees, and Serra was sitting opposite Lyn to keep an eye on any changes in Kent's condition; everyone else was waiting outside. The atmosphere was very grim and felt very palpable to Nils who walked in with his sister leaning on his shoulder.
"How is he?" Ninian asked as Nils helped her into a chair. "Is he going to be ok?"
Serra sighed in response. "I've done all I can. Now it's up to him."
"It's my fault!" Sain growled. "He's my partner and I should have been there for him!"
"No Sain, it's not your fault." Lyn replied in a tone that suggested she was also trying to reassure herself.
"When do you think he'll wake up?" Nils asked.
"I can't say." Serra shook her head. "He lost a lot of blood. I can't if he even will wake up."
"But how could he have received such a wound?" Lyn asked.
"Filthy cur must have stabbed him from behind somehow, bloody coward!" Sain yelled.
"Shhh!" Serra hissed. "Keep your voice down!"
Sain winced but complied and resumed his pacing. The tension again built up and the sombre air very nearly made Nils sick. The young bard began playing a tune, hoping his music would not only help brighten everyone's spirits but also help coax Kent back to life. Link smiled at the boy and took out his own ocarina and joined him. Nils was startled when he heard a tune blend in with his own and paused to turn to the Hylian. Link winked at him and kept playing. Despite the situation with Kent, Nils's grin spread so wide it covered his face and he quickly continued his song while Link joined in with his own tune after listening to the boy's melody. Together they weaved a beautiful piece that lifted the hearts of the listeners and they all stopped their mutterings to absorb the tune. For a brief moment their spirits were lifted and Kent's plight was somewhat eased from their minds, a much needed relief. The two musicians continued to craft their song as if they had been partners for years, each switching between harmony and melody with clear, crisp fluidity. No one knew exactly how long they played for; time seemed to disappear from existence for a few moments. However, the members of the Legion suddenly snapped out of their reverie when a low groan reached Lyn's ears and she let out a sharp breath that punctured the tune.
"Kent?" Lyn whipped her head back to the bed just in time to see the red haired knight stir slightly before slowly opening his eyes.
Silence once again filled the room as all heads turned to the knight.
"Ugh…."Kent blinked a few times trying to make out the blurs around him. "Where am I?"
"You're alive!" Lyn cried and flung her arms around him. "We thought you were going to die!"
"Milady…" Kent blinked again. "What's going on?"
"We found you unconscious and heavily injured after the battle." Serra answered. "Lyn's hawk drew our attention to where you were lying. You're lucky to be alive, Sir Kent."
"I see," Kent nodded. "Thank you everyone."
"What happened?" Sain demanded.
Kent looked at his friend and partner and sighed. "I'm sure you noticed the same thing about our last fight as I did, right Sain? The soldiers were from Caelin. We trained with many of them, yet they attacked us without question."
"They're black-hearted traitors who've joined Lord Lundgren. Good riddance, I say. It also means less resistance at the castle." Sain growled.
"I hope you're right about that." Kent muttered. "I ran into Sigmund."
Sain eyes widened at the name and his face twisted into a very angry scowl.
"Who is Sigmund?" Lyn asked curiously.
"He was a knight in the same class as Sain and I," Kent replied. "You could say he was something of a rival although he was more interested in furthering his position than serving the role of a knight."
"What happened?" Sain asked again. "Tell me, Kent."
"Well…"
xxx
Sigmund charged Kent who met his rush with a clash of blades. Sigmund attacked furiously with a flurry of slashes hoping to overwhelm the red knight but Kent stood firm and skilfully deflected every attack. After a few parries he saw his chance to counter and struck. Sigmund was able to block but was forced to step back, giving Kent some needed breathing room. Kent narrowed his eyes at his rival and switched to the offensive, striking with a long vertical slash. Sigmund smirked slightly and took another step back avoiding the attack; however Kent made a quick step following his slash and planted a solid kick into his rivals' chest. Sigmund gasped as the wind left his lungs despite his armour. He glared angrily at Kent and charged again thrusting his blade forward. Kent pivoted away from the blow and drew his sword in a wide arc for a deadly counter. Sigmund eyes went wide and be barely managed to twist and block the blow; however, the centrifugal force and his poor balance caused him to crash to the ground hard.
"Ugh…" Sigmund grunted and struggled to stand. "Lucky hit. But you won't get another one."
Kent shifted his stance slightly but did not respond. Growling irritably Sigmund charged again. The two knights traded blows and parries for a few moments before Kent found another opening and swept out his rivals legs with the broad side of his sword. Once again Sigmund hit the dirt.
"Argh!" Sigmund growled and started to sit up but stopped when he noticed Kent's sword at his throat. "How are you doing that?"
"What do you mean?" Kent inquired.
"How are you beating me? I've always been a match for you?"
Kent's hardened face visibly relaxed and he sighed. "That may have been true once but time changes things."
"Time? Don't make me laugh!" Sigmund shouted. "You've only been gone for a few months! You expect me to believe that you have improved so much over such a short time while running a fool's errand?"
"Believe what you will." Kent replied. "The fact remains that Sain and I are no longer the men you once knew. We've become much stronger than when we left; you can't beat me Sigmund."
"How?" The blue knight roared. "I never stopped training after you left and when I heard that soldiers may be sent out to face you I doubled my efforts hoping I'd finally get the chance to kill you! This was not supposed to happen! HOW ARE YOU STANDING OVER ME?"
After his rival finished his rant Kent waited a few moments before replying. "We've been rivals for a long time Sigmund. I know the training you went through, I did it too. I know your fighting style and you mine, so we know how to fight each other. I'll admit that you caught me off guard at first but once you revealed yourself I knew what to expect and after a few blows I realized you couldn't beat me."
"How?" Sigmund demanded again.
"Have you ever fought someone who outclassed you in every way?" Kent asked softly. "No…Of course not…You've never considered anyone to be better than you and by training only at the castle you would never meet someone who truly was." Kent stared impassively at his rival and continued. "You've never fought with someone whom you never stood a chance against."
Sigmund narrowed his eyes and spat. "And you have?"
Kent nodded. "Yes, I have. There is a man I have met…a great man of outstanding character…He is traveling with our group and we train with him constantly. You have no idea what it is like to spar with a man such as him. He bested our strengths, exploited are weaknesses, trounced our skills, and humbled us all. Do you know what such experiences do to a fighter? He showed us how far we had to go in order to truly become strong. He pushed us beyond our limits, forced us to grow in ways we never thought we could. He taught us to look beyond our initial course of action and readily adapt when needed. We all grow stronger with every day that passes with him."
"I've changed, Sigmund." Kent stated after a pause. "It may not have been long but the time was well spent."
Sigmund growled at Kent's answer. "Well spent? Are you saying the work that I did was inferior to yours? I can't accept that! I WILL NEVER BE WEAKER THAN YOU!"
Sigmund smacked Kent's sword away from his throat and lunged at the red knight. Kent swiftly side stepped away swinging his blade again and suddenly his rival no longer had an arm to raise against him.
"ARGH!" Sigmund screamed and dropped to his knees clutching the bloody stump.
Kent stared impassively at the man. "You've lost Sigmund. Cease this fight and I'll let you live. If you leave now you can get someone to tend to your arm; if you don't you will bleed out and die."
He waited for a few moments and watched his rivals ragged breaths. When no motion was made other than the rise and fall of breathing he sighed and sheathed his sword before turning away from the wounded man. Sigmund's vision was blurry and his shoulder burned. His mind reeled as he tried to deal with the shock of missing an arm. His career as a knight was over. All his training for nothing; all his ambitions unrealized, his life was over and the icing on the cake: it was that bastard, Kent, that had stolen it from him. The man who constantly stood in his way and had achieved everything that he could not had even taken away his future.
"GRAAAAWWWWW!" Sigmund roared with blind furry and charged the unsuspecting knight. Drawing a boot knife with his one hand he threw himself at his rival and plunged the blade into Kent's side. Kent's eyes widened in shock his mind unable to register the sudden pain.
"Never…." Sigmund coughed. "You…will never…be stronger…" He gave the dagger a twist and drew a satisfying scream from Kent. "If I'm going to die here…I'm taking you with me…." He coughed as blood loss made his head spin. He grinned. "See you in hell."
Kent gasped as he felt the weight of his rival fall off him. The sudden shift caused him to stumble forward and a fresh wave of pain flooded his mind. He fell to the ground with a cry. Kent's breathing grew ragged and labored as he grasped the blade and wrenched it from his wound. He bit back a scream and clutched desperately at the injury in an attempt to slow the blood. He had to get help fast or else he was going to die. Though tired and weak the red knight forced himself back to his feet to search for the nearest member of the Legion.
xxx
"Sigmund! That bastard!" Sain slammed his fist into the wall. "Bloody coward WOULD pull a stunt like that!"
Lyn nodded in agreement. "He is a cur with no honour. Striking a man from behind after losing are the actions of a despicable coward."
A light cough interrupted them and all heads turned to find Matthew standing in the doorway. "I suppose then it would be a bad time to mention that I prefer the whole sneaky approach over direct combat, eh?"
Lyn immediately stood from her seat. "Matthew! Where were you during all this?"
The thief in question raised his hands in defence. "Whoa, take it easy! I went to the village to sniff about for information. I'm much better at that than I am in a fight and I figured that we needed some intel before we made our next move."
Link nodded. "He's right, Lyn. Information can be just as valuable as winning a battle, sometimes even more so."
"I got some interesting news for the trouble, too." Matthew added.
"Let's hear it!" Lyn gestured impatiently, still a little perturbed.
"Right," the spy nodded. "First: about Marquess Caelin's illness. He really is unwell. He's been abed for nigh on three months."
"Oh no…" Lyn gasped. "Grandfather…"
"I heard an interesting rumour about his condition though." Matthew continued. "The people believe that someone's been poisoning the marquess."
Lyn's eyes became saucers at the news. "He's being poisoned!"
Matthew nodded. "And this someone…Well, everyone's too afraid to mention a name; rumors can be dangerous. However; they say that as soon as the marquess took ill, a certain noble took control of the castle as though it were his own. I fed a hungry innkeeper some coin and he fed me a name."
He paused for dramatic effect. "The marquess of Caelin's own brother, Lord Lundgren."
"How can this be?" Lyn demanded angrily. "How can they allow him to get away with this? The villagers know he's the one poisoning my grandfather, and yet know one raises a hand against him? Why?"
It was Kent who answered the irate woman. "They are afraid and they lack proof. The whispering of the common people means nothing."
Matthew nodded and shrugged. "That's the truth of it. And of the marquess's loyal containers who might have lent credence to these rumors, there is no sign.
"Are you saying they've been silenced?" Lyn glared.
Matthew shrugged again. "It's a fair assumption. Bribed, imprisoned, or even killed. It's all possible."
Kent sighed and leaned back into his bed. "This is beyond believing."
"The worse news is yet to come."
"What?" Sain shouted. "There's more?"
Matthew nodded. "An imposter's appeared, claiming to be the marquess's granddaughter. At least, that's the story Lundgren's telling to all who'll listen."
"What does that mean?" Lyn asked curiously.
"It means that people are waiting for two traitorous knights and a baseborn child to appear and lay claim to Castle Caelin."
"But…But that…It can't be!" Sain sputtered.
"Traitors?" Kent roared. "Us? Ridiculous!"
Lyn was shocked. The full weight of the news landing on her shoulders, she may not be well versed in the higher politics and scheming of nobles but even she knew what the news entailed. "He says…I'm an imposter?"
Matthew sighed. "Don't you have anything that proves your lineage?"
Lyn shook her head dejectedly. "When my mother joined the Lorca, she brought nothing of Lycia with her."
"Milady, Marquess Araphen himself remarked at your resemblance to Lady Madelyn!" Sain declared hoping to abate her fears. "Your face is your proof!"
Kent shook his head. "They'll say we found a look-alike somewhere…We're seen as betrayers of our knightly vows. It is a common but effective tactic; our word means nothing. No, our only hope is to see Marquess Caelin himself."
"We must hurry." Lyn spoke softly. "If not, my grandfather…I must see him! With my last breath if need be."
Matthew shook his head. "I agree that time is not on our side but we must formulate some manner of a plan! Even if we set out for the castle, the troops patrolling the area will cause no end of problems. You have been branded as oath breakers after all."
"I agree with Matthew." Link said. "Rushing forward will only take longer than we can afford in the long run."
"The biggest problem with Lundgren's propaganda is the possible influence from Caelin's neighbours." Matthew added. "We already felt the effects with Marquess Araphen. If the other territories get involved then it will be nigh impossible to reach our goal."
Silence befell the group for a few moments before Lyn had an idea. "I've got it!" She proclaimed. "Eliwood…He seemed sympathetic to our plight and he should still be in Kathelet. If we can talk to him he might help us!"
"Of course!" Kent agreed. "If Lundgren seeks aid from outside territories then an outside lord could counter him. A sound idea!"
"Let's hurry!" Sain said and made for the door. "We are a few days travel away from Kathelet"
"Wait, Sain." Link stopped him. "It will be faster with less people and Kent still needs his rest."
"I'm fine." Kent protested.
Link fixed him with a hard stare. "You are NOT fine. You were on your deathbed only moments ago; you are in no way fit to travel. You and the rest of the Legion should stay here and rest. Lyn and I will travel back to Kathelet alone."
Shouts of protest filled the room but Link stood firm. "Enough! I know you all want to come but the truth is I can get Lyn back to Kathelet faster than the rest of you can keep up. I have Epona back and she was the best horse in all of Hyrule. So while we are gone you should all take the time to rest and prepare for the next battle."
Surprisingly it was Sain that broke the silence that followed. "You know…Link's right."
The rest of the Legion blinked. "What?"
"Ideally, Florina and her Pegasus would be the fastest way to get to Kathelet but sending her and Lyn alone would make all of us worry. If Link takes her then we can all rest easy and prepare for the next round. We are close to the castle; it's only going to get harder from here. Rushing back and forth as a group would only leave us exhausted."
"Hmmm." Kent nodded. "Sound logic, Sain. That is probably the best course of action."
"Kent," Link addressed the knight. "What is the best route to take from here to the castle."
"Let me think…" The knight rubbed his chin. "Our best path is the south…" He sighed, "However, that runs through General Eagler's estate."
Sain stiffened but no one seemed to notice.
"Eagler is the commanding general of Caelin's armies," Kent continued. "It looks like we have one more obstacle to face."
Link nodded. "Let's hope we are strong enough to face it. While we are gone try to figure out the best way to get deal with the General." He then turned to Lyn. "We should get going, the sooner we leave the better."
Lyn nodded. "Yes! Back to Kathelet!"
The Legion left Kent to his rest and dispersed outside to prepare for the coming battle. Although they were all willing to make the trek back to Kathelet, truthfully most were grateful for the reprieve. After several hard battles and constant travel they were all weary. Despite the urgency, a few days rest were much needed. Lyn quickly went to gather a few things and Link took the opportunity to pull Matthew aside.
"I want you to find out everything you can about Eagler." He said. "I know they are putting on a brave face but Sain and Kent are knights of Caelin who are facing their comrades, it can't be easy."
Matthew sighed. "So I take it you noticed as well? Kent's voice portrayed his reluctance and Sain flinched at the General's name."
Link nodded. "Something is definitely different about this opponent. We need to be prepared for the worst and that starts with knowing your opponent."
Matthew nodded. "Alright, I'll find out as much as I can. Do you have a time frame?"
"Three days."
Matthew grinned. "Heh, plenty of time. I'll see you when you get back."
With that the Ostian spy quickly vanished to begin his new mission. Link chuckled and strode over to his beloved horse.
"Hey girl," He said while he patted her neck. "I'm sorry, but I need you to carry me and Lyn back to one of the cities we passed through and we need to get there fast. Think you're up for it?"
Epona snorted and reared her head back proudly. Link laughed at her response and shook his head. "I knew you would be," He said and gave her another affectionate pat. "Honestly I don't know what I'd do without you sometimes."
Epona snorted again and turned her head to flip the floppy part of his hat over his eyes.
"Yeah, yeah, I get it." He grunted. "So I'd be lost without you, but you don't have to take it out on my hat."
The red mare grunted out the horse equivalent of a chuckle while Link glared at her. This was the scene that Lyn saw as she walked up and she couldn't help but smile. Link noticed her approach and turned to her.
"Are you ready to go?" He asked.
Lyn nodded. "How fast do you think we can get there?"
The Hero of Time turned to her and grinned. "A lot faster than you think."
xxx
The thundering of Epona's hooves kicked up a dust cloud as Link and Lyn rode to Kathelet. The mighty horse streaked across the earth at a blistering pace that left Lyn, a maiden of the Sacaean Plains, breathless. She had rarely seen a horse set such a pace for so long and that was with one rider; this horse was carrying two. Most horses could only run at full pace for a few miles before they needed to stop and rest but this incredible mare had run nonstop for much longer and to top it off she was doing it of her own accord. Lyndis could scarcely believe it; as far as she could tell Link had done nothing to urge his horse faster or slower and merely kept her going in the right direction. Epona was setting the pace herself. Link had told her as they rode that Epona was a very proud horse and intelligent horse and he had told her about the daunting task before them. Epona realized the both the distance as well as the urgency and she choose to face it with all she had.
"Epona has been with me for years and has carried me through the roughest parts of my life with more heart and courage than any other I've seen and I'd probably be dead without her," Link had said. "She's the pride of the biggest ranch in Hyrule, some might say even blessed by the Goddesses. Heck, she once jumped a canyon with me on her back when a bridge was out." He chuckled. "I think that scared me more than anything I'd done before."
After hearing his words Lyn couldn't help but agree. She could feel the raw power of the animal underneath her and she had to conclude that any horse that could do what this one could had to be blessed by the heavens. She didn't doubt for a moment that Epona had once jumped a canyon and wouldn't have been surprised if she had done that herself either. All she knew was that at this pace it wouldn't be long before they would be in Kathelet, and Epona wasn't showing any signs of stopping.
Xxx
Eliwood took a long swig of his drink before sighing and leaning back into his chair. He was enjoying a nice relaxing moment after returning from his spar with Hector. It had been a good one, too. Both of them had grown stronger since they had last met but this time Eliwood walked away with the win. He chuckled at the thought of his fuming friend returning to Ostia and throwing himself into his training. After all, this fight had a bit more meaning to it since their last fight ended in a draw. They had always been an even match for each other and neither stayed ahead for very long but for now Eliwood had gained the lead and he was revelling in the moment.
He took another gulp from his tankard and thought about the past couple of days. It had certainly been more eventful than he had expected. Before winning his duel with Hector he had run across the kidnapped girl, Ninian he recalled her name, and then met the lost heir of Caelin and her band of followers. Her tale had certainly been interesting and he was intrigued by the green clad man with the pointed ears. If what she had said was true then she owed much of her success to him and Eliwood was very curious as to whom he was. Despite his train of thought the last person he expected to see at this moment was the heir of Caelin and so when said person burst through the doors of the tavern it came as quite a surprise.
"Lyndis?" Eliwood stood up. "What are you doing here?"
Lyn's eyes widened when she saw the man they had been looking for. "Eliwood! Thank Father Sky you're still here! I need your help!"
xxx
Morning the next day found Link humming a light tune while he brushed down his horse. Epona had really outdone herself and she deserved some pampering. The proud horse had reached Kathelet sweating and panting but had done it in a mere day. As soon as they found a local tavern Eliwood had mentioned earlier Lyn had gone in to find the Pharaean Lord while the Hylian had stayed behind to tend to his beloved mare. Epona had drunk profusely from the well before flopping rather unceremoniously on the ground. Link chuckled at the thought and continued brushing. He had been lucky to get her saddle off before she had claimed that patch of ground as her territory; it would have been impossible to get it off otherwise. After making sure she was ok Link had then hurried to find Lyn and Eliwood in discussion. Luckily they had found him in time and the young Lord agreed to lend his assistance. He had promptly left to compose a message to the neighbors of Caelin and promised to send it first thing in the morning. Now all they had to do was wait and Link took the time to give his horse her much deserved reward. At the moment Epona was happily making her way through a pile of carrots, apples, and oats while Link heated some water to give her a good scrub down. He had even nicked her a honey topped muffin from the tavern. Let it never be said that Link didn't care for his lifelong partner. Once the water was heated enough he proceeded to scrub the sweat and grime from every inch until the fiery horse's coat virtually glowed. Of course, to show her appreciation, once Link gave her a final rinse she shook herself dry much like a dog and gave the Hylian a shower of his own.
"Hey!" Link shouted as he vainly tried to shield himself from the spray. "Come on! Was that really necessary?"
Epona snorted her horse-chuckle again and returned to her pile of goodies. Link sighed and bent down to retrieve the fallen brush and bucket. "Yeah yeah laugh it up. You just make sure you're rested up for the return trip and see if I give you the same treatment afterwards." At that Epona swished her tail and whapped him in the face telling him full well that she knew he was bluffing.
"Ugh!" Link grunted and glared daggers at the mare who remained completely unfazed.
"Quite the horse you have there, Sir Link." A voice behind him announced. Link turned to find Eliwood and Lyn approaching together.
"Thanks," Link smiled and nodded. "Best horse I've ever seen although her personality leaves something to be desired."
Another tail whip.
"Agh! Quit it! You see! I spend all morning pampering her like a princess and this is how she treats me!"
Lyn laughed. "Aw I'm sure she's loves you just as much as you love her."
At that Epona turned her head and nuzzled it against Link.
"There you see." Lyn smiled. "She does love you."
Link chuckled and patted Epona's head. "Sometimes I wonder…Anyway, how are you two this morning?"
"I've sent word to the neighbors of Caelin now we just have to wait for their response." Eliwood replied. "We should hear back from them sometime this evening."
Link nodded. "Thanks. We appreciate your help."
Eliwood shrugged. "It is nothing. I said I would help you if I could; I am merely holding to my word."
"Nevertheless," Lyn replied. "We are in your debt."
Eliwood chuckled lightly. "Well we'll have to wait and see how successful my aid turns out to be. I can't guarantee the cooperation of the other marquesses."
"We can only hope for the best." Link nodded. "That being said the wait is always the hardest part." He laughed.
"I agree," Eliwood replied. "And since we have nothing better to do at the moment…Sir Link, I was wondering if you would honor me with a match?"
Link cocked his head. "You want to spar with me?"
Eliwood nodded. "To be honest you intrigue me greatly. I've heard Lyndis's tale and I gather that much of her success lies on your shoulders and yet a mystery you remain. You're...unique features would make anyone curious about you, but the tales of your skill truly bring forth questions. I wish to see them for myself."
Link couldn't help but give a cheerful grin. "Heh, well I can't refuse such a readily granted request as that especially since you mentioned it when we first met as well."
Eliwood returned his grin. "I'm glad you remembered. Shall we go?"
xxx
The two swordsmen stood several paces from each other and took a moment to really size each other up. Link watched as Eliwood, somewhat ceremoniously, drew his sword and the Hylian quirked an eyebrow at the weapon while Lyn stared curiously as well.
"A rapier? Heh, interesting…." Link grinned again. "It's been a while since I've faced one of those."
The rapier was often a noble's weapon of choice. Lightweight, easily carried and swift, the thin rapier was ideal for pinpoint killing thrusts and fast precise cuts. It lacked the cutting power of a heavier blade so it was not suited for military combat but it was an ideal duellist weapon; even heavily armoured units could fall before a skilled rapier thrust.
Eliwood smiled lightly. "My father is a master rapiersman and I share his fondness for the blade. It suits me well."
Link nodded and watched his opponent carefully as Eliwood took a neutral stance and waited for Link to draw his own blade. The Hylian's sharp and experienced eyes quickly gathered as much information as possible from Eliwood's features. His foot positioning, grip, center of gravity, eye focus, relaxed and tensed muscles – all were taken into account in an instant. The Hero of Time cracked a small grin and shifted his footing into a light defensive posture signalling his readiness.
This time it was Eliwood's turn to quirk an eyebrow. "Are you not going to draw your sword?"
"Why don't you come and find out?" Link smirked in reply.
Eliwood returned the gesture with a shrug before shifting into an offensive stance and drawing his sword back to his ear. "Very well, let us see what you can do."
He lunged forward in a blur of speed and lashed out with a textbook perfect thrust. As such Link read it like a book and almost casually sidestepped away. Eliwood finished his strike and immediately pivoted to slash at his retreating opponent. It was a tried and true rapier combination: high speed thrust to break the opponent's stance and then slash widely while within your opponents guard. A classic and effective move but still predictable as Link had anticipated the slash and stepped back just far enough for the blade to miss him by a breath. Eliwood was mildly surprised that Link had dodged both strikes so easily and smoothly but recovered at once and burst forth again for a series of quick vertical slashes. Link continued to dance backwards shifting and turning to avoid all of Eliwood's attacks.
Lyndis was watching with rapt attention; ever curious to see more of Link's abilities and also intrigued by the use of Eliwood's rapier since she had never seen one before. She could already see the effectiveness behind it and knew that an average fighter would be hard pressed to find a counter from Eliwood's opening assault. She wondered what she would have done had it been her in Link's shows instead of the Hylian. Lyn had no doubt that Link would win but she had no clue how he was going to do it. She also wondered why Link had not drawn his own weapon yet but continued to weave in and out of Eliwood's assault. She watched Link back flip away from close range thrust and gain some distance between the two duellists allowing a quick reprieve.
Link's eyes never lost focus from the young Pheraean lord and he never ceased his analysis. He was pleased to see Eliwood's reaction to their exchange. He could tell that Eliwood was surprised and slightly unnerved, though he hid it well, but he also remained calm and composed and Link could see him trying to devise a different strategy to deal with his opponents surprising skill. That was what the Hero of Time had been looking for. He wanted to see the type of character that Eliwood really was and how he dealt with unexpected problems and pressure. Eliwood had avoided becoming frustrated or desperate during his assault and used a thrust to create some distance to reset himself after the futile effort. It was a strong testament of his character and Link was quite pleased to see it. Eliwood had great potential as both a leader and a fighter and would make a very good ally for Lyndis when she claimed the inheritance of Caelin. Link couldn't help but grin as Eliwood further increased Link's respect for him by adopting a highly defensive side stance to minimize exposure and held his sword out ready to parry any attack. He was going to copy Link's tactic to gather more information and the Hylian was only happy to oblige; after all he had tested his offense now he wanted to see Eliwood's defence.
He lunged forward and drew his blade for a fast diagonal slash. Eliwood took a step back and deflected the attack away but before he could counter he was forced to parry a horizontal slash and then another upwards diagonal. Eliwood tried to hold in his surprise but his eyes gave away his shock; Link was easily slashing with the same speed as he had done with a much bigger sword and with much more power. Eliwood felt the force of the Hylian's blows and dared not attempt a block since the rapiers design made its blocking power weak and relied mostly on deflection. From the strength behind Link's attacks that he felt from his parries Eliwood would not be surprised if an outright block broke his sword. He was forced to back pedal quickly in order maintain the necessary range needed for his defence and parried faster than he had ever done before. Unfortunately he couldn't keep it up for long and he suddenly found Link within his guard. The Hylian smirked and used his free hand to give Eliwood a hard shove to the chest causing him to stumble backwards. This time Eliwood stared openly at his opponent in disbelief.
"Hmmm," Link relaxed his stance and sheathed his sword. "I thought as much…"
"What?" Eliwood blinked at him.
"You have never fought before, have you?"
"Huh? Of course I have!" Eliwood stood up straight. "I've duelled many people before."
Link shook his head. "No, that's not what I meant. You're obviously skilled and have practiced extensively, but there is a difference between a spar and a fight. You've never killed anyone before."
At this statement Eliwood was surprised but shook his head. "No," he admitted. "I have not."
"I thought so." Link nodded. "I can tell by the way you fight; you lack experience."
"What do you mean?" Eliwood asked. "I've been training for years."
"But you have never been in a life or death fight before. You've never felt the weight of a situation where one small mistake could lead to your death; a fight with no rules where the winner is the one who comes out alive. Those fights are in an entirely different world from ones with rules and supervisors."
Eliwood again stared in wonder. "How could you tell?"
"I can see it in the way you fight." Link replied. "Your attacks are structured and predictable; your tactics while technically correct are readable and your mannerisms are that of a formal duellist."
"I see…" Eliwood said slowly.
"Don't get me wrong," Link continued. "You're very skilled and have great potential. You've developed all areas of your style quite well; you're offense is strong, you're defense is solid, and you're quite fast. You remain calm under pressure, actively analyze your opponent, an look for opportunities to counter. You're only true weakness is that you lack the experience needed to fully apply what you've learned in a true fight."
Eliwood took a moment to absorb that information. Although he was never one to brag he was confident in his abilities and the teachings of his mentors. It hurt to hear that all he had learned was not as valid as he had always believed. Although the logical part of his mind recognized the truth of his words, especially after witnessing how easily Link had handled their spar thus far, he couldn't help but feel a bit of resentment and denial.
"Is that what you think?" He said evenly and reset his stance. "Then perhaps you should show me a true fight."
Link raised an eyebrow at the challenge while Lyn's eyes widened in surprise.
"Are you sure?" He asked. "Even Lyn has yet to face me as such and she has been in those situations. Do you think you can take it?"
At this point Lyn was visibly worried for Eliwood although she knew better then to interfere. It was true that despite all the spars she had with Link and the intensity of his training she had never felt any of the pressure she had in actual combat. But she had seen what Link became in a real fight and felt the aura of cold he projected. It frightened her and she never wanted it directed towards her. Now Eliwood was asking for it and she shuddered at the thought even, if it was out of ignorance.
"Yes." Eliwood replied; his resolve set. "I want to see the truth of your words first hand."
"Very well," Link nodded and in his mind he was glad the young lord had made this choice. "Lyn, I want you to watch this carefully and no matter what happens: DO NOT interfere." This spar had turned into an opportunity for a very valuable lesson for Eliwood and, to a lesser extent, Lyndis and he was only happy to oblige. As he readied himself he issued a final warning. "Please don't die."
Link took a deep breath and closed his eyes. He relaxed his muscles while in his mind he blocked out the thoughts of Eliwood as a friend and ally: when his eyes opened again he would see only an enemy. Eliwood watched the Hylian with hardened and focused eyes, mentally preparing for anything he thought Link would throw at him; but he wasn't prepared for what happened next. Link slowly opened his eyes and Eliwood had to stifle a gasp. Gone were the cheerful blue eyes that Link normally wore, replaced by hard, cold ones devoid of emotion and his physical presence had changed drastically as well. Every muscle in Link's frame radiated with power and control and made him seem larger than he was. Eliwood couldn't explain why he felt as he did or what made Link so intimidating but all of his instincts screamed at him to run away. It was nothing like anything he had felt before in a fight so he had nothing to compare this feeling to. There had been times as a child when he had been frightened but those times paled in comparison to this. He felt a bead of sweat run down his face as he watched Link slowly reach back and draw his blade from its sheath. The sound of the deadly metal being released from its seal rang in his ears like an unearthly scream and it was then that Eliwood realized why he felt as he did: Link was going to kill him. He didn't feel the intent to kill or even the desire to kill from the Hylian; those allowed for thoughts of defiance or that death might be avoided. No, what Eliwood felt was a fact. He was going to die and nothing he could do was going to change that. When Link took a step forward Eliwood unconsciously stepped back.
Link lunged forward with frightening speed and slashed at the young lord. Eliwood stumbled backwards just enough so that the tip of the blade just barely grazed his chest enough to cut his shirt. His eyes widened as he took in how close he had come to a serious injury and it was only primal instinct that snapped him from his shock in time to dodge a thrust that glanced off his pauldron as he twisted away. He fell to the ground and immediately glanced over his shoulder to see Link's sword thrusting towards him again. Eliwood rolled away while Link stabbed his sword into the dirt and quickly got to his feet to try a desperate counter attack. He lunged for the Hylian but the Hero of Time easily swatted his blade away and slashed upwards; this time he drew blood and Eliwood's cape fell from his shoulders. The young lord stumbled back clutching his chest, luckily he had somehow avoided a deep cut, and the fear of death was cemented even more firmly in his mind. Link attacked again with a flurry of slashes and stabs many of which caused further injury despite Eliwood's desperate, fear fueled attempts to parry and block. The Pheraean was forced to dive away clumsily from a deadly thrust and he again found himself on the ground. He rolled over to face Link and attempted to crawl back from his advance.
"Enough!" Eliwood shouted. "I understand!"
Link responded by leaping forward and planting his sword into the ground just missing Eliwood who again rolled away.
"What are you doing?" Eliwood shouted and scrambled to his feet. "I said stop!"
He parried a hard slash that jolted his arm but could not stop Link's fist from crashing into his face. Eliwood grunted and stumbled back again barely managing to stay on his feet. His vision cleared enough to see Link adopt the same stance Eliwood had opened their spar with and a small flicker of hope appeared in his mind; he knew how to counter that move. Link burst forward and Eliwood tensed to meet the attack and prepared his counter. However, Link caught him completely off guard when he thrust his sword into the ground and used it as a vault to propel himself into a flying scissor tackle. Eliwood hit the ground hard and lost his grip on his rapier which fell far out of reach. Link sat on his chest with his sword poised for a finishing strike.
"No wait! Stop!" Eliwood screamed but Link's cold eyes held no mercy and he thrust the sword down. The blade sank deep into the ground next to Eliwood's eyes, no more than a breath away from piercing his skin. Eliwood stared in shock straight ahead as his mind tried to process the realization that he was still alive as well as the sudden absence of the smothering pressure of foretold death. It took several seconds for his breathing to restart and to notice that Link's eyes had regained their normal strong but cheerful appearance.
"Now do you understand?" Link asked softly. "A real fight isn't cut and dry. You don't stop until one of you can no longer fight whether that is through disarming, incapacitation, or death. You don't fight to win; you fight to live. In these fights textbook tactics don't always work, you're opponent will use any means necessary to take you down so you need to improvise and adapt to the flow of battle and your opponents abilities."
He stood up and offered Eliwood a hand to his feet. "In a true fight you learn to deal with the pressure of possible death and you learn to do things that you normally wouldn't consider. If getting hurt means you have the chance to win then you need to be willing to take that hit, a small price for a chance at victory. You face the danger knowing it could be your last and you push through it."
Eliwood was still visibly shaken but he nodded his understanding. "I…I never knew…there was such a difference…a real fight…"
Link chuckled a bit. "Well maybe not as much as you think; what I showed you was an extreme example. It'll be rare time when you feel the same way against someone else as you did with me."
"But still…that extremity exists." Eliwood breathed. "Thank you for showing it to me. It hurts to realize how much further I have to go but now I have a solid bar to measure myself with."
Link smiled. "That is a good way to look at it Eliwood. Your strong resolve is also one of your strengths. With it you will become very strong in time."
Eliwood nodded and coughed, bringing attention back to his injuries. Link clicked his tongue, reached into his satchel, and withdrew a glass bottle containing a bright red liquid.
"Here take a small sip of this." Link offered. "It's powerful stuff so you don't need much."
Eliwood took the bottle gratefully and swallowed a small mouthful. Instantly he felt revitalized and watched in amazement as all of his injuries closed. The medicine worked far better than any vulnerary Eliwood had ever seen.
"Incidentally," Link added. "Every one of those wounds and cuts to your clothes marked a time I could have killed you."
Eliwood blinked at that bit of information and replayed the match in his mind. He shuddered when he realized that excluding Link's finishing blow he had technically died over a dozen times. For the first time in his life he truly felt completely outclassed; even his father had never invoked such feelings of awe and fear in the young noble.
"Heh," Eliwood chuckled and bowed his head. "Well I'm glad you didn't. Remind me to be careful what I wish for in the future."
Link laughed and threw an arm around Eliwood's shoulder. "You got it. Now then I don't know about you but I'm famished. What say you we get something to eat?"
Eliwood grinned wryly. "I don't have much of an appetite right now but I could definitely use a drink."
xxx
A little while later Lyndis found Eliwood sitting under a tree. He had his sword held loosely in the hand resting on his knee and he seemed deep in thought.
"May I join you?" She asked startling the lord out of his reverie.
"Oh, Lyndis." Eliwood blinked. "I'm sorry I didn't notice your approach. Please sit." He gestured at the ground beside him. Lyn smiled gently and sat down beside him while moving Shakkar from her shoulder to her forearm. They were silent for a moment until Eliwood spoke up.
"You were right about him." He stated.
Lyn nodding, knowing exactly what he was talking about. They were both staring at Link who stood a little ways away surrounded by a group of children he had attracted. The Hylian had an enormous grin on his face as the children laughed and giggled at his antics. One boy had claimed a place on Link's shoulders and was having a merry time leaning back down towards the others who all demanded a turn of their own.
"It's hard to believe isn't it?" Lyn chuckled while stroking the chest of her hawk.
Eliwood nodded his agreement. "You would never be able to tell just by looking at him what he's capable of. I never doubted your words about him but I never imagined he was such a monster."
"What was it like?" Lyn asked.
The Pheraean Lord leaned back and closed his eyes. He remembered that Lyn had never faced Link as he just had and he knew what she wanted to know.
"I've honestly never been more afraid in my entire life." Eliwood stated. "It felt like I was staring death itself in the face. I can't really explain how he did it or why I felt like that; it may have been his expression or his body language that did it or even a spell...I'm not sure. All I know is that one minute I saw him as a challenging sparring partner and the next he had turned into a beast from my nightmares."
Lyn nodded. "I see. I don't envy you. I've seen him become like that before but he always directed his attention towards an enemy. I've never seen him attack an ally or friend like that and I hope I never have to see it again especially directed at me."
"I agree." Eliwood replied. "If I never experience that again it will be too soon. I honestly thought he was going to kill me."
"For a moment so did I." Lyn said.
Eliwood chuckled somberly. "You've made a powerful ally, Lyn."
"Yes." Lyn smiled. "I don't know what I would have done without him. I owe him much and I count him as a close friend even if I don't truly know much about him."
"I am also very curious about him as well." Eliwood mused. "He may not be from our world but he seems to be the same age as us. What has he experienced that made him what he is?"
"I've wondered the same thing for a long time and hopefully one day I'll find out." Lyn said. "For now I'll simply trust that he'll tell me when he wants too. His past doesn't matter to me because he is with me now; for that I will be forever grateful."
She got up and went over to join her friend with the children and left Eliwood to his thoughts. This time the young lord's attention moved to marvel at the character of the Heir of Caelin. She was a strong, beautiful, and proud woman who was shouldering a heavy burden with remarkable fortitude. If Eliwood had any doubts about her chances of success before they were completely erased now. Again he contemplated how eventful this fairly routine trip had turned out. He couldn't help but laugh at a somewhat sadistic thought that crossed his mind. "Maybe I can get Link to spar Hector sometime…."
xxx
A/N: And done. Yay! Kent's not dead! Well I guess technically no one really dies in Lyn's chapter but I could have made it happen if i wanted too. Maybe later. Anyway wanted to get to the battle with Eagler this chapter but after awhile I realized it wasn't going to happen so I decided to split it up. I had a lot of trouble deciding how I was going to depict Link intimidating Eliwood. I tossed around the idea of killing intent but that seemed way to narutoish for me. Instead I tried to portray it through body language and a strong aura of emotions which seems much more plausible to me because I've had personal experience with versions of both. Some people can become incredibly intimidating at a drop of a hat and it's really hard to isolate what exactly it is about them that screams "Ohcraphesgonnakillme." Likewise I've had many times where you walk into a room and you can just tell the atmosphere is thick with intense emotion and it makes you uncomfortable. So I took that idea and embellished it a bit to make this. I hope it's at least somewhat believable. Again many of you might see Link as a bit OoC but I honestly believe him to be one the most awesome video game characters EVER and as such he requires a badass mode mixed in with his cheery personality. Well that's it for this chapter and I promise that the next one will be out before this time next month. Oh and to anyone who questions Eliwood never killing anyone before, he says in the first chapter (or second, somewhere in the beginning) of his storyline that the bandit encounters were his first real fights so unless he's killed someone in a sparring match that means to be that he is still an innocent in combat!