Dark Flame Chapter 4: Solitude, a fire emblem fanfic

-Dark Flame-

Original ideas copyrighted to Nintendo and Intelligent Systems

Fan Fiction by Becki

Okay, I guess I'll do a disclaimer thing right now, because apparently they aid the reader.. somehow.. oO; All characters except Laya and a few outer characters (such as Shal) were created by the Fire Emblem people.(um.. do I own the horse too? Hm... it doesn't even have a name..) The basic plot was also put together by them. I only weave the words and made up characters together into this fanfiction, so... yeah. Oo;

Chapter Four: Solitude

The stares... they were most unnerving of all. Often the boy was used to such attention at his home, but this was different. The men, women, and children, all gave him looks that said they were having a time of high amusement. Some people pointed and laughed deeply, whispered among themselves, and laughed some more.

Much to Rath's relief, he never saw Shal after their first meeting. And if his distrust with the Chieftain was not enough, he did not like the crowds of the Djute people either. The prodding and laughing, the spark of bland mirth in their eyes. When he was led to the fenced areas where the horses grazed, he found that the gray stallion was still there, and did not like the hospitality of the camp either.

One of the Djute nomads came to him and spoke, but it seemed he could not help the amusement from his voice either.

"Your horse is a willed one, that he is. He would not leave you after the wolves attacked, and we had to drag him here." Rath made no change in his expression and as usual did not speak. The gray stallion had been tied to the fence so he would not jump over the wooden rails. His gray eyes turned up and looked at the Kutolah boy, and he snorted in greeting. As Rath leaned over he rested his hands over the stallion's large nose. Rath only knew one thing; he wanted to leave immediately. For that instant he forgot about the times he had fallen from his horse, along with his fight with that pack of wolves. He wanted to leave.

But they would not let him leave so quickly and easily.

More word came that he was to dine with Shal early before leaving. The thought was not appealing, but he had no way to reject it, and no solid reason to either. They assured him that his horse would be fed, and he reluctantly followed the men to Shal's ger.

Inside it was as musty and dark as it had been the following night. Shal waited inside, as did his golden eagle. The bird perched on a tall wooden stand, a limp rodent dangling in sharp talons and deadly claws. Rath sat far enough away from both of them, cross-legged on the cold ground.

Shal slowly took notice of the boy. His face was as it had been in the former night, yet the darkness made him more menacing. His dark crimson hair against golden brown skin, but the markings on his face were now gone, replaced with the dark black smear under and over his eyes.

"I trust your night was pleasant? It is an honor for one so respected of the Kutolah to rest with us tonight." His voice had the essence of high flattery, greasy and over-exaggerated. Rath however, was too young to realize he was being complemented and kept still.

Maidens entered and served dried fruit and spicy meats. Cooked rice seasoned with powerful spices that gave off a distinct aroma. Rath barely even glanced at his breakfast before maintaining a strict gaze on the Djute chieftain. Shal ate almost laboriously, yet delicately, and his patience was admirable. Even as his instincts refused to comply, Rath's hunger caught up with him. He watched his food before finally giving in and eating quickly.

But to his bitter taste, the food was not what he was used to. The fruit was tangy and strong, the meat cooked with deep flavor and a spicy dash. The rice was no different, but was almost too hot to eat. It practically melted on his dry tongue. Rath obeyed both his stomach and tongue, leaving half of his breakfast uneaten.

Their conversation was a blank one. It was most often Shal speaking or bringing up something, only to be answered by the boy's repeating silence. When their food was cleared away, Rath waited, sitting impatiently. Shal raised a slender arm and the eagle fluttered down to perch upon it. Tentatively, the bird's claws did not scrape the glistening skin as it clamped down on his wrist.

"Is there anything more we may do for you?"

"....no." Rath said after a short pause. Shal did seem surprised at the break of muteness, but then leered.

"Very well. Good journey to you."

They never stopped laughing. Their prods and violent jabs in the air. If they tried to be subtle, it failed miserably. As he attempted to mount his horse, the crowd's laughter rose uncontrollably. When he managed to get on the stallion, he reached forward to grab his reins. The stallion sniffed nervously, twitchy and just as anxious as he. Holding the reins tightly with small palms, he looked one last time around the congregated people of the Djute.

These people.. they would do something memorable.. one day...

Then someone slapped the horse's flank with a loud crack. The horse bolted, and to the amazement of all, Rath did not fall. He held on tightly to the saddle, knees bent against the horse' frame to keep on. His eyes were shut tightly as he felt himself go light. Even minutes after the horse started his sprint, the laughter did not fade. There was the familiar cry which fed into the boy's ears. The shrill forlorn call which would not receive a reply. Rath opened his eyes and looked up to see the golden eagle far off. Then he turned his head back down, tears unwittingly streaming in the stinging winds and something else.

The horse's hooves pounded the ground as they flew over the plains. The gray stallion jerked forward as it sped through the grass, and Rath could feel the sharp attacks the plants made at his bare legs. The bags laced to the saddle flapped in the motion-made wind.

He did not know how much time had passed when the horse came to a slower pace. Even as he felt the movement slow, he did not relieve his tight posture on the horse's back. More than anything, he wanted to be back home. Opening one eye, he slid a glance at Laya's bow. He didn't want it. He couldn't even use it properly. Closing his eyes again, he let the stallion dictate the moves they made.

"Hey! You there.. er-boy!"

Snapping his eyes open, Rath turned up and looked for the individual who had called him. A man stood, his hands glued to a long lance. As the man studied him and Rath returned the favor, they stood in silence. This man was unlike anybody he had ever seen. Bright skin color and brown eyes just barely covered by a silver helm. His hair was a dark blond, a stranger to one who had only seen Sacaens all his life.

"....." Rath stared back. The soldier looked at the boy uneasily, still trying to see if he were any kind of threat. The horse finally broke the silence and blew a raspberry loudly through strong teeth. The soldier swayed back in surprise. Rath stared behind the man to see the small structured wall surrounding what seemed to be a city. His mind swirled as he wondered how these people managed to move these solid walls from place to place when the prey moved.

"Where......" The Kutolah boy's other words were drowned into a decrescendo. The soldier managed to hear the first word and blinked before replying.

"Uh.. Welcome to Bulgar of Sacae.. um.. sir.?" Rath could see the soldier was no older than Laya, and from his unsure speech, he seemed to be new at this. The stallion was impatient and refused to wait longer. Before the soldier gave his consent or even said anything else, the steed moved instantly inside the gate, trotting with cocky steps. The soldier blubbered something else but it was lost instantly as awe overtook Rath.

Buildings! The first time seeing any sort of shelter that was not the typical tent of the tribes took him into a further curiosity. The gate lead into the city, feeding the visitors straight into the square. The fountain sparkled with giddy brightness, the spray causing dim hidden rainbows against the dim stony ground. There were people everywhere! People from all over Elibe, children of not only Hanon but Roland and perhaps Elimine as well...

He turned his head up to see how tall these buildings were. Windows scattered along the bricks and wooden shingles. The horse seemed to move along with no interest in anything. When Rath looked back down, he noticed that he was drawing some attention. Normally one would expect the foreigners of Sacae would be watching him, but the nomads of tanned skin and dark hair also put the weight of their gaze on him. Rath willingly stared at each one of them, until they felt uncomfortable and drew down their vision.

Bulgar! He had never heard of such a place.. did others exist outside of Sacae as well? He looked about anxiously wondering what everything was and how they came to be. The horse stooped around, and came to a complete slowing stop. Rath noticed the red light flooding over his clothes and flaring in his face. The sun was dipping down in the sky, dark and ready for its own slumber. Staring around, the people still lingered in the streets, but a few windows silently shut and doors locked. Rath clumsily dismounted-or rather, jumped from the saddle- and placed two feet jaggedly on the ground. Holding the horse's reins, he jerked them gingerly in an order to follow.

The horse obeyed, with no resistance. Towards the fountain, Rath began to wonder some more, how water would spray through the stone sculpture and cascade neatly down into the basin below. As the gray stallion began to drink from the clear orange-hued waters, Rath fumbled at the saddle and the pouches strapped to it.

He had been well sent on this journey, the Kutolah had supplied him with some rations. A flask of water which sloshed through the airy spaces from before. In the largest bag did the flat dry cakes of bread rest. Some dried venison also lay untouched by human hands, as all of his food. After staying with the Djute tribe the night before, his food had not been eaten yet.

Until now. The breakfast with the Djute tribe was actually filling, even though the boy had refused to eat much. It kept him conscious at least, but his hunger slowly returned. Pulling the bags open, he took out the largest cake of bread, to find with distaste that some of them had crumbled and lay in pieces at the bottom of the leather pouch. Still, he bit into the dry bread, and it broke off with a gentle snap. To his surprise when he had finished eating, a quarter of his food remained. Not knowing how to conserve it, he shut them with a heavy glance and looked back at the horse who stared back at him.

The world held no more mercy from him than it had ever done.

As night came close, Rath found himself in a dilemma of finding a place to sleep. He was an outcast. Who would share their home with him?

He led the horse across the square the other row of buildings. There was a narrow spot in between them, dark and lonely. Following his instincts, he swallowed any fear and pulled the reins to goad the stallion in the alley.

There was an area behind the buildings just parallel to the wall surrounding Bulgar, just large enough for two horses to stand side-by-side. Sitting on the ground and leaning his back against the wall, he released the stallion's reins. The horse looked aside, as if confused at his master's sudden surrender. But Rath didn't care anymore. Pulling his knees up against his chest, he rested his arms in a cross on them and placed his head over them, face hidden.

The night was just as silent as this boy, as if in sympathy was respecting him for his troubles.