Fire Emblem: "To Catch a Thief"
Chapter 3: Friends and Foes
So, the next morning (or more precisely, just before dawn), Lord Eliwood had the army set off for Caelin, out of concern for Lady Lyndis and her companions.
They were just approaching the now-besieged Castle Caelin, when the army ran unexpectedly into one of Lady Lyndis's old friends... It turned out to be the pegasus knight, Florina, who had dared flying past enemy archers to find help for her comrades.
Suddenly, the female knight lost her balance, trying to dodge unfriendly fire. Fortunately, something managed to to break her fall... Unfortunately, Florina had fallen upon Lord Hector, pegasus and all. The tactician couldn't help noticing that Matthew had nearly burst out laughing at this... She might've found it funny as well, if she hadn't been concerned about her old friends.
After the embarassed pegasus knight had been revived, Florina quickly updated the two lords about what was happening in Caelin...
&&&
It was another long day of combat for the army... The tactician had to position the troops so that they could recoinnoiter with Lady Lyndis and her companions; they had been hiding in the woods, waiting for a chance to reclaim the castle. With the aid of a telescope, the tactician managed to locate the positions of her former comrades, and directed the army accordingly.
Still, this was no easy task... The heavily wooded terrain made it difficult for those mounted on horseback to move forward, though it provided plenty of cover from enemy forces.
But at long last, the army managed to fight their way through enemy troops... And Lord Eliwood and the tactician found themselves reunited with old friends.
To the surprise of everyone in Lord Eliwood's company, the tactician greeted each of her former travelling companions with a hug; from the shy Florina, to Lady Lyndis herself. Kent returned the tactician's greeting gingerly, with some embarassment, while Sain hugged her for so long, that the young woman actually had to threaten to hit the knight in the one place where his armour didn't protect him; only then did he let go, with great reluctance.
"I'm pleased to see you are well, Lady Tactician," said Lyn, who had smiled at the tactician's greeting. "I had hoped that that our paths would cross again."
"I hoped so, as well," replied the tactician. "Though it is a pity it is during such dire circumstances." At this, Lady Lyndis's expression clouded.
"That is true... But I am glad to have your support... And Lord Eliwood's, as well."
&&&
"You looked awfully glad to see them," Matthew later observed. As the army prepared to take back Castle Caelin, he had taken a moment aside to speak to the tactician.
"I was glad to see them," she admitted, smiling quietly to herself. "To be honest, they're the first friends I've had that were around my own age... Apart from my brother, of course."
"Sounds like you haven't hung around many young people," remarked the thief.
The young woman shook her head. "Nope."
"What about the Thieves' Guild?" asked Matthew. "Surely there were some people over there that were your age..."
"Afraid not. We were the first apprentices trained there in a long time... Besides, the first thing we were taught there, was to look out only for ourselves... It really didn't allow for any lasting friendships."
"Sounds rough," he commented.
The tactician shrugged. "We managed." Matthew tactfully decided to change the subject.
"You know, it's strange... When I ran into you again, young miss, you didn't seem half as pleased to see me, as you did Lady Lyndis," said the thief, pretending to sound hurt. At this, the young woman gave him a wry grin.
"Nobody's ever glad to see a thief, Matthew."
"If they can see one, then he's not doing his job right," retorted the young man.
"Speaking of which... Don't you have some work to do...?" said the tactician pointedly. "We might need your lockpicking skills inside the castle, so you'd better get over there right away." Matthew heaved a great sigh.
"A thief's work is never done... Oh, why must I always be doomed to follow the whims of others...?" The young woman rolled her eyes.
"Oh, I don't know... Because they pay you?" Matthew's eyes lit up.
"Ah... The best reason of all. All the more reason to get going!"
As the thief hurried off, the tactician shook her head at the young man's irrepressible attitude.
&&&
With the aid of Lord Eliwood's army (and a bit of help from Matthew's thieving abilities), Lady Lyndis and her cohorts managed to invade Castle Caelin, reclaiming it for themselves once more.
After defeating their foes, Lyn quickly searched the castle for her grandfather, the Marquess of Caelin, out of concern for his safety... And in doing so, the lords discovered they had a secret ally.
It was sometime later when the three lords headed down the hallways of the castle, having just finished a briefing with the Ostian spy, Leila... Behind them, trailed the tactician, trying to remember if she had any maps of the Port of Badon. Suddenly, a figure slipped out of the shadows and appeared by her side.
"Hey, young miss!" said Matthew pleasantly. The tactician whirled around.
"Matthew!" she replied, startled, and annoyed that she was so; the thief's habit of popping out when she least expected it, was getting on her nerves.
"Where have you been hiding?" the young woman asked. "I would've thought you wanted to listen in on the briefing with Leila, since she is one of Ostia's spies..."
"I just wanted a quick word with Leila alone," he answered easily.
Matthew's tone then turned serious. "By the way, there's something I want to ask you about the briefing..."
The tactician grinned wryly. "I should've known you were listening on us," she commented.
"Of course I was," replied Matthew airily. "Your powers of observation must be failing you, young miss..."
"They haven't failed me," she retorted. "I was just absorbed in what Leila had to say."
"Yes, about that..." began the thief, quietly. "You're from Bern, Lady Tactician... Have you ever heard of this Black Fang?" The young woman's expression sobered, and she nodded.
"Yes, I've heard of the Black Fang, before..." she said, slowly. "Actually, their Guild of Assassins and the Thieves' Guild in Bern used to be rivals, of sorts... When I used to be... With the guild, we generally kept out of the Black Fang's way... But even though we didn't want to get on their bad side, our guild still considered them to be a bunch of do-gooders... Leila's information was quite accurate on that point." Matthew nodded.
"But this change in their policy is news to me," mused the tactician. "Granted, I haven't been in Bern for a while, but... Taking any target, just for the money? It sort of reminds me of what happened to my own guild, before everything went bad..."
She sighed heavily.
"So... You know nothing else about them?" insisted Matthew.
"Afraid not," replied the young woman, coming back to herself. "I'm serious!" she added, as he shot her a penetrating look. "The Black Fang was pretty secretive... Leila's already mentioned all the information I knew." As the thief looked resigned, the tactician then gave him a speculative gaze.
"Now that I've answered your question, do you mind if I ask you one, as well?" she enquired politely.
"As long as it isn't about my current debts," answered the young man cheerfully.
"I was meaning to ask you about Leila," began the tactician, thoughtfully. The thief regarded her curiously.
"What about her?" asked Matthew, in a guarded tone.
"It's just that..." She paused for a moment, then continued. "Well... It's just that I've never met a female spy before..." The thief relaxed a bit.
"If it comes to that, I've never seen a female tactician before," commented Matthew, slyly.
"Then again," she continued, ignoring the thief's remark, "I've never even met a spy, until I ran into you, Matthew."
"Hey, even thieves can have useful positions in society," the young man pointed out. "I'm doing a respectable job for the community." The tactician lifted an eyebrow.
"You? Respectable?" she remarked. "I find that very hard to believe..."
"Sad, but true, young miss," sighed the thief. The young woman rolled her eyes, in reply... Then, a thought occurred to her.
"Leila is very beautiful..." began the tactician, slowly. "I assume you two know each other?" she enquired. Matthew shrugged his shoulders.
"We've worked together before," he replied, perhaps a little too casually. The young woman gave a thief a sidelong glance.
"And... Are you two... Uh...?" she asked tentatively. Matthew grinned impishly at her.
"Wouldn't you like to know...?" The tactician looked somewhat embarassed.
"Sorry, I didn't mean to pry..."
"Sure, you didn't..." teased the thief, nudging her playfully. "I've noticed your matchmaker tendencies, Lady Tactician." The young woman flushed.
"Is it that obvious...?"
"Not really," admitted Matthew. "But you're awfully fond of pairing off male and female soldiers, on the battlefield." The tactician avoided his gaze.
"Yeah, well... It's not like I planned on matching you up with anyone, Matthew," she muttered, under her breath. The thief sighed theatrically.
"That's okay... I understand if you're a tad jealous, having fallen for my ample charms..."
At this, the tactician raised her eyebrows. "Excuse me?"
The thief then placed a hand to his forehead dramatically.
"But alas, fair maiden, it was never meant to be..." The young woman crossed her arms before her.
"Matthew, that is the most horrible impression of Sain I have ever seen... And if you think I would ever even consider falling for you, you are sadly mistak--"
The tactician turned to Matthew, to find that she was conversing with empty air. The young woman found herself shaking her head once again, at the expense of the thief.
"That boy..." she sighed, in exasperation. "I swear, between him, Lord Hector and Serra, I'm beginning to wonder if all Ostians are so infuriating..."
TO BE CONTINUED...
&&&&&
I must confess... I think it might take a while for me to complete the next chapter, since I believe that'll be one of the hardest sections for me to write...
Anyways... I hope you've the enjoyed the story so far!
Chapter 3: Friends and Foes
So, the next morning (or more precisely, just before dawn), Lord Eliwood had the army set off for Caelin, out of concern for Lady Lyndis and her companions.
They were just approaching the now-besieged Castle Caelin, when the army ran unexpectedly into one of Lady Lyndis's old friends... It turned out to be the pegasus knight, Florina, who had dared flying past enemy archers to find help for her comrades.
Suddenly, the female knight lost her balance, trying to dodge unfriendly fire. Fortunately, something managed to to break her fall... Unfortunately, Florina had fallen upon Lord Hector, pegasus and all. The tactician couldn't help noticing that Matthew had nearly burst out laughing at this... She might've found it funny as well, if she hadn't been concerned about her old friends.
After the embarassed pegasus knight had been revived, Florina quickly updated the two lords about what was happening in Caelin...
&&&
It was another long day of combat for the army... The tactician had to position the troops so that they could recoinnoiter with Lady Lyndis and her companions; they had been hiding in the woods, waiting for a chance to reclaim the castle. With the aid of a telescope, the tactician managed to locate the positions of her former comrades, and directed the army accordingly.
Still, this was no easy task... The heavily wooded terrain made it difficult for those mounted on horseback to move forward, though it provided plenty of cover from enemy forces.
But at long last, the army managed to fight their way through enemy troops... And Lord Eliwood and the tactician found themselves reunited with old friends.
To the surprise of everyone in Lord Eliwood's company, the tactician greeted each of her former travelling companions with a hug; from the shy Florina, to Lady Lyndis herself. Kent returned the tactician's greeting gingerly, with some embarassment, while Sain hugged her for so long, that the young woman actually had to threaten to hit the knight in the one place where his armour didn't protect him; only then did he let go, with great reluctance.
"I'm pleased to see you are well, Lady Tactician," said Lyn, who had smiled at the tactician's greeting. "I had hoped that that our paths would cross again."
"I hoped so, as well," replied the tactician. "Though it is a pity it is during such dire circumstances." At this, Lady Lyndis's expression clouded.
"That is true... But I am glad to have your support... And Lord Eliwood's, as well."
&&&
"You looked awfully glad to see them," Matthew later observed. As the army prepared to take back Castle Caelin, he had taken a moment aside to speak to the tactician.
"I was glad to see them," she admitted, smiling quietly to herself. "To be honest, they're the first friends I've had that were around my own age... Apart from my brother, of course."
"Sounds like you haven't hung around many young people," remarked the thief.
The young woman shook her head. "Nope."
"What about the Thieves' Guild?" asked Matthew. "Surely there were some people over there that were your age..."
"Afraid not. We were the first apprentices trained there in a long time... Besides, the first thing we were taught there, was to look out only for ourselves... It really didn't allow for any lasting friendships."
"Sounds rough," he commented.
The tactician shrugged. "We managed." Matthew tactfully decided to change the subject.
"You know, it's strange... When I ran into you again, young miss, you didn't seem half as pleased to see me, as you did Lady Lyndis," said the thief, pretending to sound hurt. At this, the young woman gave him a wry grin.
"Nobody's ever glad to see a thief, Matthew."
"If they can see one, then he's not doing his job right," retorted the young man.
"Speaking of which... Don't you have some work to do...?" said the tactician pointedly. "We might need your lockpicking skills inside the castle, so you'd better get over there right away." Matthew heaved a great sigh.
"A thief's work is never done... Oh, why must I always be doomed to follow the whims of others...?" The young woman rolled her eyes.
"Oh, I don't know... Because they pay you?" Matthew's eyes lit up.
"Ah... The best reason of all. All the more reason to get going!"
As the thief hurried off, the tactician shook her head at the young man's irrepressible attitude.
&&&
With the aid of Lord Eliwood's army (and a bit of help from Matthew's thieving abilities), Lady Lyndis and her cohorts managed to invade Castle Caelin, reclaiming it for themselves once more.
After defeating their foes, Lyn quickly searched the castle for her grandfather, the Marquess of Caelin, out of concern for his safety... And in doing so, the lords discovered they had a secret ally.
It was sometime later when the three lords headed down the hallways of the castle, having just finished a briefing with the Ostian spy, Leila... Behind them, trailed the tactician, trying to remember if she had any maps of the Port of Badon. Suddenly, a figure slipped out of the shadows and appeared by her side.
"Hey, young miss!" said Matthew pleasantly. The tactician whirled around.
"Matthew!" she replied, startled, and annoyed that she was so; the thief's habit of popping out when she least expected it, was getting on her nerves.
"Where have you been hiding?" the young woman asked. "I would've thought you wanted to listen in on the briefing with Leila, since she is one of Ostia's spies..."
"I just wanted a quick word with Leila alone," he answered easily.
Matthew's tone then turned serious. "By the way, there's something I want to ask you about the briefing..."
The tactician grinned wryly. "I should've known you were listening on us," she commented.
"Of course I was," replied Matthew airily. "Your powers of observation must be failing you, young miss..."
"They haven't failed me," she retorted. "I was just absorbed in what Leila had to say."
"Yes, about that..." began the thief, quietly. "You're from Bern, Lady Tactician... Have you ever heard of this Black Fang?" The young woman's expression sobered, and she nodded.
"Yes, I've heard of the Black Fang, before..." she said, slowly. "Actually, their Guild of Assassins and the Thieves' Guild in Bern used to be rivals, of sorts... When I used to be... With the guild, we generally kept out of the Black Fang's way... But even though we didn't want to get on their bad side, our guild still considered them to be a bunch of do-gooders... Leila's information was quite accurate on that point." Matthew nodded.
"But this change in their policy is news to me," mused the tactician. "Granted, I haven't been in Bern for a while, but... Taking any target, just for the money? It sort of reminds me of what happened to my own guild, before everything went bad..."
She sighed heavily.
"So... You know nothing else about them?" insisted Matthew.
"Afraid not," replied the young woman, coming back to herself. "I'm serious!" she added, as he shot her a penetrating look. "The Black Fang was pretty secretive... Leila's already mentioned all the information I knew." As the thief looked resigned, the tactician then gave him a speculative gaze.
"Now that I've answered your question, do you mind if I ask you one, as well?" she enquired politely.
"As long as it isn't about my current debts," answered the young man cheerfully.
"I was meaning to ask you about Leila," began the tactician, thoughtfully. The thief regarded her curiously.
"What about her?" asked Matthew, in a guarded tone.
"It's just that..." She paused for a moment, then continued. "Well... It's just that I've never met a female spy before..." The thief relaxed a bit.
"If it comes to that, I've never seen a female tactician before," commented Matthew, slyly.
"Then again," she continued, ignoring the thief's remark, "I've never even met a spy, until I ran into you, Matthew."
"Hey, even thieves can have useful positions in society," the young man pointed out. "I'm doing a respectable job for the community." The tactician lifted an eyebrow.
"You? Respectable?" she remarked. "I find that very hard to believe..."
"Sad, but true, young miss," sighed the thief. The young woman rolled her eyes, in reply... Then, a thought occurred to her.
"Leila is very beautiful..." began the tactician, slowly. "I assume you two know each other?" she enquired. Matthew shrugged his shoulders.
"We've worked together before," he replied, perhaps a little too casually. The young woman gave a thief a sidelong glance.
"And... Are you two... Uh...?" she asked tentatively. Matthew grinned impishly at her.
"Wouldn't you like to know...?" The tactician looked somewhat embarassed.
"Sorry, I didn't mean to pry..."
"Sure, you didn't..." teased the thief, nudging her playfully. "I've noticed your matchmaker tendencies, Lady Tactician." The young woman flushed.
"Is it that obvious...?"
"Not really," admitted Matthew. "But you're awfully fond of pairing off male and female soldiers, on the battlefield." The tactician avoided his gaze.
"Yeah, well... It's not like I planned on matching you up with anyone, Matthew," she muttered, under her breath. The thief sighed theatrically.
"That's okay... I understand if you're a tad jealous, having fallen for my ample charms..."
At this, the tactician raised her eyebrows. "Excuse me?"
The thief then placed a hand to his forehead dramatically.
"But alas, fair maiden, it was never meant to be..." The young woman crossed her arms before her.
"Matthew, that is the most horrible impression of Sain I have ever seen... And if you think I would ever even consider falling for you, you are sadly mistak--"
The tactician turned to Matthew, to find that she was conversing with empty air. The young woman found herself shaking her head once again, at the expense of the thief.
"That boy..." she sighed, in exasperation. "I swear, between him, Lord Hector and Serra, I'm beginning to wonder if all Ostians are so infuriating..."
TO BE CONTINUED...
&&&&&
I must confess... I think it might take a while for me to complete the next chapter, since I believe that'll be one of the hardest sections for me to write...
Anyways... I hope you've the enjoyed the story so far!