~ : : The Price of Venison : : ~

Don't own Fire Emblem, Matthew, Guy, or the world in which this ficcus takes place.  *realizes she is gravitating back towards the angst category in this chapter*  I sowwy!!  ^^;;  And am I the only one in the world who thinks Lucius is really a girl in disguise ? (I joke not!  He has a suspiciously feminine figure!)

* * * * *

They continued across the plain for nearly two hours, Matthew in the lead.  Guy was beginning to feel the strain already - a combination of Matthew's fast pace and his already poor health.  He'd survived ten days with no food whatsoever, he reminded himself, pushing his exhaustion to the back of his mind and concentrating on the way the sack was swinging back and forth against Matthew's arm.

When Matthew finally stopped and squinted into the distance, Guy took the chance to catch up with him, trying to refrain from panting.  "How...much farther?"

"Less than another hour, maybe."  Matthew shrugged and turned back to look at Guy.  "But first - lunch."

Suddenly he burst out laughing.

"What?" Guy said, puzzled.

"Y...your face just then," Matthew chortled.  He was clutching his ribs, shoulders shaking.  Guy just stood there, feeling extremely stupid.  Matthew took another look at the Sacaean and snorted.  His new companion, now mildly annoyed, did his best to wait patiently while Matthew's laughing fit died down.

"Well?"

Matthew coughed into his red cloak.  "See, you were like this..."  He turned the corners of his mouth down and stared stonily at Guy.  "And then your eyes nearly fell out of your face at the mention of food."  He clapped Guy on the back.  "You don't say much, but you sure are amusing."

"Thanks," Guy said sarcastically, pushing the arm off.  "So what was that about lunch?"

"Okay, so it's not that edible anymore, but it'll last us till we can scrounge around for something in Caelin."  Matthew threw one of the pieces of bread at Guy, who yelped when it hit him square on the nose.  The other went into more spasms of silent laughter, flopping unceremoniously to the ground.

Guy, still rubbing his nose gingerly, mumbled, "Stale bread is all you have?"

Matthew nodded, grin still splitting his face.  "You'll have to gnaw it," he said cheerily.

"Wonderful."  Guy flopped into the grass next to Matthew.

"So," said Matthew, after several moments of silence, "How did a young Sacaean wind up in a Lycian forest?"

"Long story."  Guy sighed.  "Well...I ran away."

Matthew raised an eyebrow.  "The usual?  Parents beat you?  Rest of the tribe slaughtered?  Revenge on a mysterious someone?  Being pursued by bandits?"

"Well, er...no."  That earned him another raised eyebrow.  "If you want the truth...I was bored."

There was silence for several moments.

Matthew blinked several times.  "Is it just me, or did you say you ran away because you were bored?"

"It's not just you.  I was bored.  I was a stupid kid who wanted adventure."

"You're an odd one.  For a Sacaean, that is."

"Yeah."

"So?" Matthew prodded.  "I still don't think you could've gotten here in ten days."

Guy shrugged, absentmindedly finger-combing his hair with his free hand.  "I was employed by a merchant to protect his caravan."  His eyes gravitated towards the ground.  "But it..."

"Didn't turn out well?" Matthew finished softly.

Guy shook his head.  "Bandits."  He finished off his hunk of no-longer-quite-bread and swallowed hard.  "I...felt so...so...helpless.  The merchant...they..."  He trailed off and laid a hand on the hilt of his sword.  "I couldn't save anyone but myself.  It made me realize...I really don't know anything about the world."

"It was the first time you'd ever seen other humans killed," Matthew guessed.  "But things happen.  If you want to protect others in the future, the only thing you need do is become stronger."

"But...I wasn't.  I wasn't strong enough."  The Sacaean slammed a fist into the ground and whispered, "I was so disgusted with myself."

Matthew draped an arm around his shoulders.  "Don't get worked up about it."  He added as an afterthought, "Just remember that times are dark and getting darker, so you'll be seeing a lot more dead people."  He licked a few crumbs from his fingers as Guy stared at him.  "You know, in a few years things will start heating up, and you'll have to kill or be killed.  Be ready then."

Guy closed his dark eyes and nodded resolutely.  "I'll train.  I'll become the greatest master of the sword Sacae or Lycia have ever seen!"

"By then," Matthew said darkly, "you'll have to be the greatest swordsman the entire world has to offer."

* * [End] * *