A/N: Nya! Third Chapter and I've gotten more reviews then I expected! Thank you for all your great reviews! It really brings my spirits up!
Koriku: Yeah, this is more of a Lyn/Sain than Sain/Lyn. Sain is an uke around Lyndis. Take that, Kent! XD Thank you for reviewing!
Maniac-Miko: Heh, yeah. Sain is so OoC, but it fits correctly with this story. I mean, it's his first time out of his home, he's sick, Lyndis is hitting on him, can you blame him? XD Yes, I'm French stuck in an English community. -- Not the best of things, I tell you.
Wandering Cat: SWEET! That's awesome! Yeah, that Marusu-Marth thing is cool. Yesh. Especially Marusu. It sounds more kickass. Nyah. So Rath/Lyn isn't popular? Come on! That's not right! Eliwood/Ninian is as canon as it can be! Oh, uke is the passive one in a relationship. Seme/Uke always. Oh, and the answer about the fishing part was here. I think.
GaretFire: Thank you for appreciating my story!
Narastar: Thank you, but...have you read the second chapter? I wrote about Marusu-Marth. OO
Now, for the story. Disclaimer, you ask? I said it once and I'll say it again: I don't own Fire Emblem, though I own the game in a cartridge inside my GBA.
Lyn picked up the pile of fishes she had caught for supper. Though, her mind was on a certain situation that couldn't get out of her mind.
'Sain... I hope he's all right.' She remembered too clearly the day that she discovered her heritage. Sain flirted with her, and of course that made her angry, since she despised Lycians. However, when he attacked the assailants chasing her, she noticed the gracefulness of how he fought, and how it doubled his strength. As she received an injury, she recalled how Sain rode his horse, sword in his left hand. His voice still ranged in her head, that day she realized you can't judge a book by its cover, the moment after he had slain her enemy.
'Touch one hair on her beautiful head and I shall cleave your monstrous body in two,' he spoke to the bandits, a deadly air on his face. Never had the glitter in his eyes seemed like blazes to her. A look that even Kent was frazzled at. The bandits, angry at him, tried to attack-only to find themselves dead by the hand of an unmounted Cavalier with a Sacean blade. Known as the Kyrwn, the Sword of Silence, Sain's sword was a gift by Hanon herself to Roland, as a symbol of their friendship. The weapon was lighter and longer than all edges of her land. The pattern on the metal was of a sakura tree. No sword, not even the Mani Katti, could ever replicate the elegance of Kyrwn.
Then there were the countless times he was wounded, all for trying to help weakening the enemy. Though he was injured and bruised, he still fought, not thinking of his own safety. When she was harmed, thought, Sain got into frenzy, unsheathing Kyrwn and used both the sword and his lance against his opponents. Kent tried to reason, only to get slapped at the face with a greenish gauntlet. Never get Sain on his bad side, she learned. He could kick someone trice his size to the next year.
Speaking of his injuries, it didn't matter how serious they were, he would do the same ritual to cleanse them. In fact, he was drenching his uncovered body in cool water. After he rinses the blood from the gashes, he carefully applied the vague appearance of a liquid, which was the vulnerary. Of a rosy hue, the syrupy textured salve had the magical property to instantly sterilize and heal a wound. However, it didn't help the soreness when it came to the larger cuts, so he would have a gauze over them. Even if he were in serious pain, he would still find a way to ease it. Surely this would not be an exception. His fierce boldness could resist anything.
One thing she adored about him was her new knowledge of his royal lineage. She knew there was something about him that was similar to her besides that free spirit attitude they share. Sain's voice, when commanding, did have that royal sound within. She could tell by his accent that his past didn't originated from Caelin. Kent's own was like a stream flowing softly, while Sain's resemble a gigantic waterfall in the midst of an ocean. Lyn shook her head at the thought. 'I sound like Sain that way. Better stop thinking of him before he corrupts my life.'
"Hey, Lyn!"
Lyn turned her head to see who was behind her. There was her tactician, Marth, without her worn copper cape and glasses. The strategist left them with her backpack at the camp. The lack of those items really changed her.
"Hey, Marth," she replied, the shadow of a grin upon her lips.
However, that didn't stop the other girl from noticing her concern. "Something wrong? One of the spirits told me Sain's sick."
Lyndis knew she had a bit of explaining to do. "He is unwell. Kent took him for some spring water. They should be back at the camp now." She stopped, wondering what to say next. "I'm not sure what's wrong exactly."
"Poor guy." She then smiled, touching the key that served as a pendant for a necklace. "Well, Umi here will help to bring him back on his feet!"
The Sacean returned the facial expression. She first learned about Umi when there was no water in sight, the canteens were empty and Kent began to dehydrate severely. Marth had summon the spirit and asked of her assistance. Not only did she fill up the canteens, she could create a fountain using her powers and forming a bowl with her webbed hands. "Tell her thank you, for me."
"She heard it and says that you're welcome to her service anytime, Lady Lyndis," the brunette winked.
"Thank you, Marth. We better get to the camp."
Kent patted his comrade on the shoulder. "Do you feel better now?" Sain's reply was of the sickly stare he gave him. A sigh slithered out of the redhead's lips. "Alright Sain, I'll shove it," he deducted, speaking the Caliwealth version of a well-known expletive in common tongue, which is also a finger gesture he never liked.
"It's not fair..." the elder knight muttered. Knees at his chest, a wooly blanket around his shoulders, Sain's body seemed to be thinner. Florina glared at him and chuckled.
"Sain? Shouldn't you be healthy?" she told him, remembering that the spelling of his name was the same spelling as to the Pheraen word for health.
"CAN IT, Florina," the ill man growled, getting more irritated by the minute.
"Sain, please shut your trap. Be reasonable, you've need of rest."
"Yes, 'Mother'." Looking away from the rest of the group, the Green Knight swore under his breath in his native language.
Kent's smile was one of pity. Sain did go though many hardships, that it amazed him how said Cavalier still managed to have such an innocent spirit. Not only did he never leave Caelin, his hyperactiveness caused him some trouble, thus he needed calmatives to tone him down. He stopped taking them a few months ago, and already the signs of such had appeared on many occasions. Like when they had to stay at an inn while finding the Lady Lyndis, Sain's hormones had gone out of control. Thus, he refused to talk to anyone but Kent. Then when it came to go to bed, it stormed outside, with the loudest thunder he'll ever hear. The blinding flashes of the fulguration outdoors were hidden away by the window curtains. Sain's mind decided this would be a good time to argue with a somnolent Kent. However, the Red Knight wasn't aware of any of this addiction until that day.
'"I'm not going to sleep!" he yelled, obviously pissed off.
The youngest buried his face in his palms, near tears. "Sain, please cool off. We have only enough money for the entire travel, and Marquess Caelin mentioned a budget for such. That is why I only paid for a room such as this."
"I don't care!" There was no lack of evidence the other knight wasn't going to lay this one down. "I'd rather have intimate relations with a disfigured woman than sharing a bed with you!"
Kent knew exactly what to say next. Alia told him many times giving Sain a choice made him do the thing he was asked. "It's either we both take the bed, or you go sleep outside, in the pouring rain, undressed."
"I'll take the bed," the Green Knight meekly answered. Getting into bed, he started to shudder.
"Something wrong?" Kent asked, receiving a foot at the shin. "Sain! You haven't the need to kick me!"
"Sorry, it's just...I'm reacting before I can think. It's just..." Then he began to explain why his behavior was at its peak. "I know it's hard to believe," he finished, "however that's the reason."
"I can understand that. Addiction is very hard to control. You are talking to an old alcoholic, right?"
The eldest of the two felt a slight shiver down his spine. "Meh, not that I care," he smugly answered. Soon he noticed there was a lukewarm object around his torso. He jerked, knowing that the thing was Kent's right arm. "Hey, hands off! We're not an item, and we're not gay!" A pause, possibly for a though that Sain forgot. "Well, you might be bisexual, from what I don't know about you..."
"Sain, think of it this way-we're brothers by our bond. Think of me as the brother you always wanted. Does that helps you?"
A drowsy response of a "yes" was his answer. No squirming coming from the body, the two could repose.'
Looking up to where, unbeknown to him, Lyn has left, said noblewoman was walking towards them, fishes in hand, with Marth next to her, jittery like a June Bug.
"Well, what do you know, she sure do know how to survive the wild." he smiled to himself. "Everyone! Dinner has come!"
Lyndis's Legion applauded for the fact Lyn caught these fishes that was at lease Florina's leg length, and the width of...well, that was being thought of differently by many of the crew. Blushing, the Sacean bowed her head. "Those are the biggest fishes I've ever seen!" exclaimed Florina.
"There's plenty more where they came from, but I think we'll be stuffed as it is with these Moby Dicks. With their size, catching them wasn't hard at all. I only brought four though." Lyn winked at them.
"That's enough to feed the entire Pherae army!" Wil gapped.
Lyn shrugged. "If we can't finish them tonight, we'll wrap them up in huge leaves until tomorrow."
Sain darted hie eyes towards the food, and instantly felt nauseous. "...I'm sorry, but I'm not hungry right now."
"That's ok, Sain." Lyn resented guilt in her heart, but she shoved the instinct away. There was no time for regrets.
"Can I cook?" Marth questioned, her expression of a dog at the sight of its master. "I know a way to use the fishes entirely and still be not too full!"
Wil was downright acting childish. "I'll help you, Marth!" he told the girl.
The Lady gave Marth the fishes when Kent came towards her, the flask of the spring water in hand. What he would say next would change Lyn's, Sain's and his own life forever. He took away his role of Kent the Cavalier for Kent the Matchmaker. "I filled this flask with water from the spring. Could you please tend to him?" he spoke as quietly as possible. She nodded and took the jug, then walked towards the other knight.
"I hope you're not feeling as bad as you seem, Sain," she told him, sitting down next to said person.
"Do I look bad?" he asked as he glared in her eyes. His own eyes seemed to be glossed over, and they were narrowed by the fatigue Sain was experiencing. She could tell he had a headache due to the occasional massage he would do at the temples.
Lyn couldn't face him directly any longer. "Your expression says you feel awful. That's what I'm judging by." She stole a glance to his moist headband. "Plus you seem to be perspiring a lot."
" I... Am?" he nictitated. "Oh, I guess...I am as bad as I seem." He then looked away, self-conscious about his ailment. Lyn could tell he wasn't up to the task of helping anyone now.
"Are you thirsty?" she catechized.
Even if he was ill, Sain knew his face was getting hotter for another reason. "Not really," he chunter to her, and as the words slipped away, he took off the headband that seemed to never leave its place. "It makes me feel warmer then I am..."
"If you feel warm, than it means you fever has stopped rising. Now we just have to try bringing it down." She took note of Sain's inquisitive. "My parents had a sort of baby-sitter for me when I was younger. She knew all types of remedies, about illnesses and taught them all to me."
"Oh, I see." Sain made himself smaller. "I'm feeling chicken right now," he moaned a tad loud. He then regret saying that, hoping the noblewoman wouldn't laugh at him. She only gave him an encouraging smile.
"Don't feel bad about it. It's natural to feel defenseless when you're sick," she justified.
Sain simply nodded. "I rarely get sick, so when I do, it's pretty hard on me. I have a faulty biological defense, and that's why I have that odd wound cleansing ritual."
Lyn listened to his small explanation, then got to work, for Sain was sweltering direly. She took another flask, filled with freezing water (for Marth has frozen it the day before, and all the ice had finally melted), then drench a rag with said water. She began to dab his exposed forehead. "Ah!" His eyes went wild, for he didn't recall the smearing of water on the brow for a moment. Then, he closed his eyes, as his mind made him remember those days when he was ill. Those days when his mother would always sooth his fears and pain with her peaceful voice. He could relive the coolness of each gentle stroke of the wet handkerchief. "This... Ah, I'm sorry, I'm being carried away..." But his mind disapproved. 'Mother... I want you. Where in Elibe are you? I'm scared...'
She sighed heavily. "If your fever doesn't break by tomorrow, though, we'll have to sit you in the river," she told him.
That made him jerk up, eyes wide open. "NAKED?" he bellowed.
This caught Wil's attention. Men would probably know what was going on in his mind by the smirk on his face. He then began to chuckle. "Sain's worried about being naked in front of Lyn in case his monkey decides to take a peek."
"Shut up, Wil," Florina growled. ¹
"Monkey?" Marth questioned. There was no doubt she had no idea what they were talking about? "What monkey? Sain doesn't own a monkey! Why are you talking about Sain's monkey or something? What is going on?" By now, Wil, Kent and Florina were doubled up in laughter. Kent whispered what Wil meant in her ear, and she turned beet red. "Shut UP. I want a change of subject right now."
Lyndis shook her head, hearing what the others had said. "We'll keep you in boxers or something," she said. "I should think you'd worry more about the cold." She passed the rag once more on his forehead, softly this time. Sain's imagination began to take over his mind. He could sense his mother's hand on his forehead after a good compress, her smile when she deducted that his fever was getting better.
"This feels rather nice," he whispered to himself.
"It has too. It's to bring your fever down," she carefully chastised him. He nodded, then shut his eyes once more. He wandered in his consciousness, reliving every moment of Alia's tender care in a time like now.
"This feeling..."
The Lady looked up as the serious knight came closer, kneeling next to his friend. "How is he doing, milady Lyndis?"
She rose her shoulders. "His temperature stopped rising, but the fever hasn't broken yet."
A tiny whimper was heard from the bundle. Kent felt his heart fall into a bottomless pit. Sain seemed more like a child than an adult now and the fact said knight wasn't as mature as one wasn't helping the idea. "You'll be all right, Sain. We will take great care of you."
What Sain said next made the two become preoccupied of his state. It was now certain he was impaired.
"Mother..."
M/N: Nya! Cliffhanger! That was so much fun to write! I didn't know where to stop, so I continued to RP until I finished this. Next chapter- More about Sain's past is revealed in the form of jewelry... Next time, on Matchmaker Switcharoo! (Now, what you have done, Wandering Cat? You've corrupted Sasuke-chan!) Please review, and thank you for reading this fanfic!
¹ If you have read my bio, you probably know that this part wasn't technicly part of the roleplaying. I added that to show how innocent Marth really is. That was character development at its best. It might not make sense for Florina to say shut up, perhaps even OoC, but to me, making her saying it shows how she's not that innocent. She's simply naive.