-Dark Flame-

(C) Fire Emblem

Original ideas copyrighted to Nintendo and Intelligent Systems

Fan Fiction by Becki

Chapter Six: Abandonment

Unsure of what to do, his first reaction was to conceal himself from the enemy. Guiding the horse to the side, they skirted the edge of the field around the camp to close in in the most subtle manner. Although his arrows were useless, they could still be used as perhaps a decoy of some kind.

Actually, these bandits weren't the smartest there were. What could they gain in attacking a mercenary band? The whole point was to raise money anyway.

Finally, Rath concluded to sneak into the camp and attempt to at least look for his quiver of sharper arrows. The bandits began to rip down the tents so the mercenaries could not sneak up on them and ambush. That was, at least, something clever to do.

Rath dismounted near the untouched tents and abruptly ordered the stallion to stay with a sharp tug of the reins. He took his bow in case he needed it, and narrowed his eyes. Bending low so his head would not appear over the top of the tents, he walked as quietly and quickly as he could. To his dismay, his tent was at the farther side of the camp, closer to where the bandits had started forcing down the tents. Some mercenaries began to notice this and started to try and stop them.

The Kutolah boy was on his hands and knees by the time he was a bow-shot away from the tent. The sound of battle was intense. Loud, and obnoxious. His hair fell stubbornly over his face, hanging limply as he moved along. And at last, he reached it.

Flinging the flap open, all of his only possessions were scattered on the earth. The man sleeping in the same tent as he had the blankets all over everything, and somewhere a bottle of ink was upturned because black splattered everything. It was darker inside, and his eyes were still adjusting to the light difference. Groping around for his leather quiver, he saw the shadows outside the tent. The shadow lifted his arms..

At last his fingers closed around a coarse, rough leather. Pulling it out, he just flung himself to one side seconds before an axe crashed through the supports of the tent and it collapsed. Rath pulled out an arrow and strung it instantly. He would have to be an infantry archer for the moment being, but he felt so different without a mount.

Pulling back the string, he released it and with a twang shot straight towards the hulking mass of the bandit which had slaughtered his tent. The bandit looked appalled as he stared down at this child who had dared attack him. But Rath was not yet finished.

Stringing another bow after the first, he released it and the arrow reappeared from the air, protruding from the man's bare flesh.

But it didn't do very much. The arrows were like needles against thick parchment. But blood poured out like a river of crimson. Rath grimaced, but made no flinches. He didn't mind the sight of blood, after all, after so many years of wandering, he had just about seen everything.

The man plunged towards the boy, and his big frame made it harder for him to move. Rath could easily dodge that giant axe which was poorly aimed at him. Whilst this was happening, Rath put two fingers against his wet lip and blew. A shrill whistle responded, piercing the air like the arrows he wielded. The gray stallion bolted to his master.

He mounted with ease, and restrung his bow, like a machine who's only purpose was to win. Those mornings of training were not for nothing.

His third arrow missed, it hit the large axe and reflected off harmlessly. His fourth arrow hit the man's wrist. The man attacked, his swing a bit less blind. The axe slid against Rath's boot and the stallion's flank, hurting the steed more than the rider. The horse shrieked in pain, but Rath yelled an order for it to stay calm. Before he could shoot his fifth arrow, something else interrupted.

A large javelin protruded from the man's bulky flesh. He didn't even know what had hit him. With a frozen look of pointless victory planted on his face, the whites were shown on his eyes. He fell face first, the javelin hitting the ground with a sickening thud.

Rath looked up to see Calen with his arm poised in the throw. Grimly holding the arrow between two fingers, he looked around for more enemies as Calen retrieved his spear.

The camp was a mess. The tents torn down and blood soaking into the once dry ground. Rath looked wordlessly to Calen as the mercenary leader looked around just as silent. All of the remaining bandits had fled once they realized the mercenaries had nothing to offer. The archer from the night before was staggering with a pool of blood trailing behind him. A few fighters suffered from some minor wounds.

"Where were you?" The cavalier suddenly said. The nomad answered truthfully.

"Practicing. I left early."

"...." Calen said nothing, his mouth a tight line. Then he turned around on his horse and went to study the damage done.

After Calen finished checking the condition, it was apparent that a fourth of the mercenary group was missing, dead or severely wounded. Such high casualties for a bandit's raid.

"And they outnumbered us." Calen spat, face bitter. "Dirty cowards." Rath looked around again. When he had first arrived at the battle scene, there did not seem to be more bandits than the amount of members in the mercenary group. But before Rath could ask whether they had been outnumbered, Calen swung around on his horse, calling to all that were left.

"Regroup! Begin a to clean up, our journey to Araphen will not be hindered!" He said roughly in a tone Rath had never heard him use before. When he felt the stallion twitch beneath him, the boy dismounted and began to examine the wound.

Just as Calen had ordered, their journey was unhindered. Nobody said a word about the attack, but their spirits did not disappear completely. The wounds had been treated, but all the horses were to be surrendered for the wounded to ride. Rath did not mind so much to walk (although he did prefer to ride) but his only problem was calming the horse to let a stranger ride. It had taken years for Rath to tame the beast, and the gray stallion was stubborn to allow anybody else mount him.

The stallion's wound had been treated well. It was a semi-deep cut, but the group's cleric patched it up neatly. Rath touched the steed's head and whispered quietly as the wounded mage was to climb on the saddle.

The horse was fed up and clearly cross, but did not move or jerk as he felt weight upon the saddle. Rath pat the horse's mane and took the bridle.

"You may want to hold on." Was all he said to the mage.

It was a few hours more until they reached the edge of Araphen. When they did so, it was only out of luck that nobody had collapsed. Calen was stiff and did not slow the pace. Although he was young, it appeared that he did not want their client to wait.

However, they were allowed to rest. In the shade of the mountains, Calen rode ahead despite his own weariness to consult the client. Rath felt better as he sat down. His legs ached with the constant movement and the back of his neck began to burn with the sun's light. But clouds dotted the sky, warning some light showers.

"You... boy!" The axe-wielding fighter called. Rath turned and gave him his attention. The fighter narrowed his eyes, the thick bandages on his chest clearly seen. "You were prancing about while the battle was going on, eh?"

Silence.

"We lost a good number of men because of you. I don't see why I don't cut you where you stand." He said threateningly, grunting as he did so.

"...." Rath did not understand. Was this man blaming him for what had happened? The Kutolah boy frowned. After his tribe disowned him and the ignorance of the people as he grew up, he knew men too well. If blaming Rath was the easiest way to take out any frustration, a man would do it.

"Are you listening to me? Look me in the eye as I talk to you, you barbarous scoundrel!" But the nomad didn't. Instead, he took advantage of the man's disability and mounted his horse. The man's curses trailed behind him as he rode away.

"We leave now!" Calen's voice broke through the rain. As predicted, drops fell from the sky as the sun hid behind the curtains of the clouds. The mercenaries were roused reluctantly, some groaning with weariness or pain. Rath came behind the group of rising soldiers, not caring whether the man who had threatened was among them. It was hard to see through the rain anyway.

"Rath!" He turned in surprise as Calen called his name. The boy rode up obediently, and the cavalier addressed the whole group.

"Everybody else ride ahead to Araphen. I shall catch up to you shortly."

I? As in singular. Rath kept his face emotionless. There was a wave of surprised looks as they silently murmured to another. But as the band began to descend the hills, Calen faced the boy with a tight face.

"Your behavior today was unforgivable." He began. Rath listened, only confusion greeting him. Is this what that man meant..? "Your skill is nothing above mediocre either."

"...." Rath wanted to respond or deny his charges, but had no idea where to begin or what Calen was implying anyway. But it did not take long for the cavalier to explain.

"You left early this morning without informing anybody, so I sent a fair amount of men to look for you, and then we were ambushed. Your performance was undisciplined and short-sighted." Now the youth understood why Calen had said they were outnumbered.

"Go back home. You are unneeded here. Your first payment will be considered the medicine given to your steed. Be glad this is your only penalty." Calen sharply cut the reins to one side and his horse galloped away, leaving Rath and his stallion alone.

And he said nothing.

Poor Rath, nobody likes him (Sorry, one thing I always do in my fictions is be evil to the characters.. ^^; ) -__-; But he's so humble isn't he? First his tribe wants him to leave and he gets fired at his first job, and he doesn't say anything about it ^__^ (I'm evil and blunt, I know ^^; )

Let's see, I plan for there to be about four or five more chapters left in this fanfiction. Thank you for all those people who are bearing with me as I write this, I know this fanfic has a really slow pace and there isn't much to read ^_^; It's almost over!

~Becki