Fire Emblem:
"Sain's Guide to Dating"
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Part Three: Between a Rock and a Hard Place
For Kent, trying to find a secluded place to read Sain's parchment was easier said than done... Especially in an encampment that was filled with the soldiers of Lord Eliwood's ever-growing army.
At first, the cavelier had tried to return his tent for a little privacy; only to find Wil there, waiting to ask him yet another question about knighthood. The cavelier finally shook him off, claiming that he needed to have a word with Sain.
However, no sooner had Kent left his tent, when he was waylaid by Sir Wallace... The armoured knight had then noticed the scroll Kent was carrying, and asked if it was for his 'Manual of Knightly Prowess'... The younger knight had beat a hasty retreat after that encounter.
All in all, Kent was beginning to wonder if the blasted piece of parchment he carried was cursed, or something...
So, in his quest for privacy, the knight found himself up a tree... Literally.
In a wooded grove not far from the army encampment, Kent was now seated upon the thick branch of a tree, about ten feet off the ground... His horse was tethered to the bushes around it, far below. Absolutely certain that he was alone at last, the knight heaved a sigh of relief.
"Finally... Perhaps now I can look at this embarassing document in peace..." he muttered to himself, irritably. Kent then carefully unrolled the scroll of parchment.
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Chapter 2: The Chivalrous Knight
As a noble knight of Caelin, it is my sworn duty to protect it... But it doesn't hurt to impress the ladies while doing so! When you go forth in battle, charge headlong at the enemy with your weapon proudly held high... It makes defeating the opponent all the more impressive!
Lances are the knightly weapon of choice... Though a sword should be kept at hand, for as my friend insists, a lance will not withstand the most persistant axe-blow... But I believe that a knight with a stout (and passionate!) heart can overcome any enemy's weapon, with his bravery and heroism!
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Kent found himself groaning. "Why do I even bother reading this...?"
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Ladies are precious, lovely creatures that must be sheltered from battle, if possible. Should you see an enemy mounting an attack upon a female companion, thrust yourself nobly into his weapon's path... You will receive undying gratitude from the young maiden (and possibly, other favours, as well)... You may also win sympathy from the other ladies on the battlefield, who have witnessed your heroic deed.
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As he was reading, Kent thought he heard his name called out... Listening again carefully, he realized the voice was coming from the ground, far below.
"Oh, for the love of..." grumbled the knight, as he rolled up the scroll. "Now what?"
Kent glanced down at the foot of the tree, and nearly fell over in shock... Lady Lyndis was standing under the very tree that he was sitting in.
"Lady Lyndis?!" he gasped.
"Kent!" Lyn shouted out, so he could hear her. "What are you doing up there?"
"I... Er..." began Kent, rather flustered. "I just wanted some time alone, by myself..."
"Up in a tree?" asked Lyn, curiously.
"Yes, I..." The knight paused for a moment. "Say, how did you find me, anyways?"
"Well, for one thing... Your horse is tied to this tree," Lyn pointed out.
Kent flushed as red as his hair. "Oh, yes. Right..."
"Also, Florina saw you up there," continued Lyn. "She feared that you might be an enemy spying on the camp, so she came to me so we could both check it out."
"Florina...?" enquired Kent, slowly.
"H-Hello, S-Sir Kent..." said a shy voice, right by his ear.
Kent turned around to see Florina on her pegasus, hovering in midair just above and beside him. He had to grab the trunk, to prevent himself from falling off the tree in surprise.
"S-sorry about startling you, S-Sir Kent," said the pegasus knight, timidly. Her pegasus then alighted on the branch Kent was sitting on.
The knight's eyes widened. "Florina! Don't--!"
The tree limb may have been able to support the weight of an armoured cavelier, but not that of a relatively light pegasus knight and her mount; the wood quickly snapped under the pressure.
Fortunately, pegasi can hover... Unfortunately, Kent could not. Losing his balance, the cavelier began to slide off the broken branch; Florina immediately tried to grab the knight, but missed.
It was then that Kent fell off the branch completely, and hurtled towards the ground, far below.
"NO!!" screamed Lyn, in dismay.
However, luckily for Kent, the tree he had chosen as his refuge had bushes surrounding it; he landed in a heap among the shrubs. Quickly, Lyn rushed over to where the knight had fallen.
"Kent! Are you all right?" she cried out. She pulled the cavelier out of the shrubbery. "Kent! Speak to me! Say something!" she pleaded.
The knight let out a groan, and Lyn breathed a sigh of relief. Meanwhile, Florina had landed her pegasus beside them, a mortified look upon her face.
"I'm so s-sorry, Lyn!" gasped Florina, on the verge of bursting into tears. "I-is he all right?"
"He should be fine," said Lyn reassuringly, resting the cavelier's head gently in her lap. "In fact, I think he's trying to say something..." Her brow furrowed.
"What's that, Kent? I can't quite hear you..." Lyn listened carefully as Kent slowly repeated his request.
"...I am... Going to... Kill... Sain..."
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TO BE CONTINUED...
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Notes: Thanks to everyone who's reviewed this story so far! Any more comments will be well appreciated (hint, hint)...
To Songwind: In reference to whom Guy was talking about, your second guess was the correct one; also, the tactician does actually confront Kent about her map... Eventually.
And about Mallow-chan's last review: It's funny you should say that... (Laughs evilly) BTW, I'm keeping deliberately vague about the details of this story, so not to spoil it for those who haven't read it before...