Rebecca: Gentleness28 does not own Fire Emblem or the Turn-By-Turn walkthrough by Apujanata, even though she really wants to.
Me: TT
Rebecca: Aww...why don't you say thank-you to the nice reviewers? That might make you happy.
Me: ::sniff:: OK...
The Story Master 125: Hahaha! Your review was great! Yeah, I forgot to call Oswin a rotten egg, but you did! :P Oooh...nice name for the ear thingies. Communicators...I think that's what I'm going to call them! Thanks for the suggestion! Aww...you're plotting the sue the AP tests? How sweet! ::smiles evilly:: Can I help? Hehehe. I think that suing would be so much fun...but then we'd probably get in so much legal trouble that it wouldn't be worth it in the end... I'd still sue them, though! :P I'm glad you like 'Broken Flower'! I have to wait until I'm in the right mood to update that one, though, because it's an angsty fic and I don't write those very well...TT. Thanks again for your review!
Houyoku: Yeah, I was wondering about your last review...hehehe. Your reviews get cut off whenever you don't log in? Maybe it's a sign from FF.net? :P Aww...give yourself a little credit! At least your laid-back chapters are well-written! Oh, thanks for the information on why Rebecca and Eliwood can't get together. I knew that Roy was Eliwood's son and that Wolt was Rebecca's son, but I just never put two and two together...::shrugs:: Raven smiled at Rebecca? Cuteness! They kind of do make a cute couple, but I still like Rebecca/Wil better! Hm...'command deliverers'? Very creative! Thanks for the suggestion and the review! Hey, I love your ramblings!
Hyliansage: Your welcome for the review! I'm always happy to review your stories. ::shiny eyes:: Oh, I know! That picture with Rebecca, Wil, and Wolt is so cute!! I wish I could draw like that... Yeah, I think that I'm going to call my little device things 'Communicators', so thank you! ::nods:: Matthew is the best! Wow...I never thought that he would wear red so people would suspect him less...awesome! See? He's so smart. I can't wait for Guy to appear in your fic! I'm glad I emailed you. Hm...well, I can't blame Rebecca for saying she liked what Raven looked like...I do too...hehehe. Aww...your rambles are the best! You update soon too, and thankies for reviewing!
Dark Miroku: ::smiles:: I'm glad you like this story! Oooh...great suggestion! I love Pent and Louise too! I could have never thought of Louise helping Rebecca become a Sniper on my own... I will definitely use this in my story, but it'll probably take a while for Pent and Louise to appear...since they're many chapters away in the actual game...waah. Oh well... Thanks for reviewing! Oh, and for the very creative suggestion on what my little device things should be called!
Burningphoneix: ::blush:: Wow...I'm sure my story wasn't that great... You're so sweet! But now I have a standard to live up to...darn... I'll try to keep up the good work, but sometimes it's hard when you have no inspiration...like me, right now...::sigh:: Do you have any stories? You sound like you would be a really great writer! Thanks again for the wonderful review!
????: Yes! I'm glad you liked the picture! I sure wish I could draw like that... Hehehe...I love Serra too, and yes, she's probably going to end up with Erk. Their A support is so funny, and so is their ending! Yeah, Hector thinking is a little bit...strange...heh heh. I want Wil to come into the story too! ::cries:: It's going to take so long...waah. Hehehe. Thanks for the clear-up on why Rebecca can't possibly end up with Eliwood...yeah, it would be pretty scary to have your nanny have a crush on your dad...::shudder:: Don't worry, I don't really like Ninian either, so Eliwood will probably be paired with Lyn. Yay for them! Wow...Wil's seventeen? He seemed younger to me for some reason...::shrugs:: Wow...you're so creative! I love your suggestion on what should happen in my story! I will unquestionably put them into my story! Hehehe...it's going to turn into such a soap opera... Aww...I'm honored that this is one of your favorite stories...::bows:: Thanks for all the suggestions and the review!
DTN: ::bounce bounce:: I'm so happy that you like my story! Wow...you like my detail? Thanks! I try hard to make my fics detailed, but I fail too often...waah... Yes, picture, PICTURE! It's so cute! ::dies of the cuteness:: Um...sorry about that...I guess I got a little too excited about the picture...hehehe. Well, thanks for the review!!
Kyle the Crazy American: I'm glad you had constructive criticism for me...I like that. Yeah, Bartre probably doesn't talk that articulately...poor guy. He needs to get an edumacation with Hookd On Phoniks...yeah...sorry, that was a really bad attempt at humor... Yep, I think that he's a better fighter than Dorcas too. Thanks again for the nice review!
"Alright everybody," Krista began. "It looks like there are a lot of lance-wielders over to the west of us, so Dorcas and Bartre..." They both nodded as they heard their names. "That will be your area to take care of. Take Marcus along with you as backup." They hurried to do her bidding. "Now, the rest of you—"
"Um, Krista?" Eliwood politely interrupted. "Might I go with them as well?"
Krista seemed slightly taken aback. "Well...I suppose so..." she answered. "But may I ask why? We could really use your help to the south..."
"I know..." Eliwood confirmed. "However, Marcus risked his life by giving me his steel sword, and now I feel that I should give it back as..." He struggled to find the right word.
"...retribution?" offered Krista.
"Yes. Exactly." Eliwood pulled out the steel sword, glanced at Marcus, and then turned his sky-blue eyes onto Krista. "You understand, right?"
Krista sighed. "Fine, fine. Do what you have to do..."
"Thanks, Krista!" cried the red-haired noble as he ran to catch up with Marcus.
Krista muttered something under her breath, and then turned around to see who was left—Rebecca, Lowen, Matthew, Hector, Oswin, and Serra.
"OK," dictated Krista. "There are brigands and archers to the south of us, so be ready for them." Everyone nodded in affirmation. "Good. Now make sure your ear devices—"
Serra interrupted with a high-pitched squeal. "Eww! What kind of name is that?! Come on, Krista! Remember that awesome name we had for your little device thingies when we traveled with you before?" Krista looked like she would rather not remember, so Serra turned to face Matthew. "Didn't we used to have a great name for her devices? Tell them, Mattie! Tell them!"
Matthew—like Krista—looked like he would rather die, than say what Serra wanted him to say. He gave her a look that would have silenced anybody else.
But Serra was unperturbed. "Well, if little Mattie here doesn't want to tell...then I guess I'LL have to! The name was..." She paused dramatically. "...a communicator!" Both Krista and Matthew flinched as if from a bad memory, but Rebecca didn't see anything wrong with a name like that. In fact, she thought that it was a lot better than calling them 'ear devices', but perhaps there was something going on that she didn't know.
"Did you have to say that, Serra?" asked Matthew, hiding his face in his hands. "It's embarrassing!" Krista seemed like she was having an internal conflict, as if she wasn't sure whether she wanted to cry or laugh.
"What the heck are you guys talking about?! I demand to know right now!" Hector was getting irate at this inside joke between his vassals.
"Sheesh, Lord Hector! You don't have to be so mean about it!" Serra exclaimed. "However, since I'm so generous and nice, I'll forgive you for yelling and even tell you what we're talking about." She cleared her throat. "We're talking about...communicators!"
Rebecca watched Hector turn red in exasperation as he yelled, "Why are communicators so #$% interesting?!" Rebecca cringed at the bad word, but she was still interested in why the name 'communicator' was such a big deal.
Serra sighed, as if she was dealing with a bunch of little kids that needed everything to be explained to them. "Communicators! You know, the Companions Of Me and Matthew Use No Intelligence to CArry ouT OrderS!" She hugged Matthew tightly and squealed (again). "Hehehe! Wasn't it fun, Mattie? Wasn't it?"
Matthew valiantly struggled to free himself, but it was a lost cause—Serra was just too strong. Krista decided to help him out by using her rank as the tactician of the group. "Um...Serra? Could you go with Dorcas, Bartre, Marcus, and Eliwood? They could really use a healer."
Serra still refused to let go of Matthew as she asked why she couldn't just stay here and heal.
"Well..." Krista fished around for a good reason, which was difficult. "Well, there are a lot of archers down here, and I wouldn't want to risk you or anything..." She suddenly got a sly idea. "Oh yes, Marcus also has a Secret Book and a pretty bejeweled Dragonshield that I'm sure he would let you borrow."
Serra's eyes widened, and she let go of Matthew in her happiness at being able to obtain such treasures. "Oooh! Of course I'll go! I'm sure that they will be positively delighted to have me!" She ran off after the other group, making Matthew sigh in relief.
"Thanks a lot, Krista."
"Yeah, well..." stuttered Krista. "You probably won't be thanking me later when you're hurt, and there's no healer around." Matthew gave her a look that said: No, I don't think so.
Krista rolled her eyes. "Whatever you say... I'm going to go find a good lookout spot now." At that, she sauntered off—her signal to commence fighting.
Marcus wasn't very happy, and he had three valid reasons why. First, Serra had come dashing behind him (scaring the living daylights out of poor Roland); second, Serra had the nerve to demand that he hand over his Dragonshield and Secret Book; and third, after his refusal, Serra had taken his items anyway! What was this world coming to? There was simply no respect for elders anymore! His hand touched his steel sword, and he smiled. At least Lord Eliwood showed some empathy toward his situation. Where was Eliwood anyway?
Eliwood stared at the cold, rushing water in front of him. How were they supposed to cross this? His countenance fell as he realized the hopelessness of their plight. Bartre had already said that he couldn't swim, Dorcas said that he would have liked to avoid getting wet if possible, and Eliwood himself had armor on. There was no way that they could cross this river, unless they could find a bridge or something similar to one.
The red-haired noble scanned the riverbank, and saw a huge stump. It would have been so perfect as a bridge, except for one problem: It was standing upright. None of them had enough strength to cut it down, except perhaps Marcus, but he was dealing with Serra right now. Eliwood didn't know what was worse—the roaring river or the roaring cleric.
For the first time in Marcus' long career as a paladin, he had to surrender. The humiliating experience of having to give up his items to Serra still burned brightly in his mind. His hand fingered the sharp steel of his sword, and his eyes searched for an outlet for his anger and bitterness. After seeing countless blades of grass, his eyes locked onto the perfect target—a large stump right next to a river. With his mouth set into a thin line, he signaled to Roland to start charging. Roland was not used to being ordered to charge on inanimate beings, like this stump, but he charged nevertheless.
And what a charge it was! Dorcas watched in awe as Roland galloped toward the stump, holding nothing back with complete and utter confidence in his rider. For a fleeting moment, Dorcas wished that he had a horse, but then he remembered his discomfort in the saddle. No...he was better off without a horse, but it seemed like Marcus was better off with one. Right now, ramming into the stump with all of their might, Dorcas saw that Marcus and his horse were a team. Alone, they would not accomplish much, but together, they were a force to be reckoned with. Dorcas almost felt sorry for the stump, but then realized that it wasn't alive. Anyway, they now had the bridge they needed.
"Woohoo, Marcus!" Bartre slapped him on the back in congratulations.
"For what?" asked Marcus.
"For knocking down the stump!" declared Bartre.
"..." Marcus turned to Eliwood, who was standing by. "Do you know what Bartre is talking about, my lord? I was just mad at Serra, and cut down this stump as an outlet..."
Eliwood laughed. "Well, you, my friend, have unwittingly given us the bridge we needed to cross this river."
"Oh..."
Unbeknownst to the guys, Serra had been listening to their conversation, and she didn't like what they were saying at all. "Yoohoo! Lord Marcus! What were you just saying about me?!"
"Uh oh..." Eliwood whispered to Marcus. "I think you're in big trouble..." Marcus silently agreed.
"Well...um..." the paladin started. "I...I must make sure everything is alright on the other side of this river!" He then proceeded to rush across the makeshift bridge, presumably to check and see if the other side was safe. Eliwood smiled, for he knew that Marcus was just trying to get away from Serra—and her hot temper. And speaking of Serra...
"Hey! Where do you think you're going?!" she exploded. "You should help a lady, like myself, get across this stump!" Marcus didn't give any hint that he heard her, so Serra turned to Eliwood.
"You're a lord, right?" Eliwood nodded meekly, too scared to do anything else. "Great! Then you can escort me across this bridge! Oh, and you can carry my Dragonshield and my Secret Book, too! Isn't that nice of me?"
Eliwood looked around for Bartre or Dorcas, hoping to dump Serra onto one of them, but they had already crossed to the other side. Bartre waved with a huge grin on his face, and Dorcas looked on Eliwood with pity. Then they proceeded to follow Marcus.
Eliwood hung his head; there would be no escape for him now.
Rebecca was the first to strike an enemy brigand. However, her arrow only grazed him and made him mad, which wasn't a good thing. His wild, matted hair swept around his face as he prepared to counter, but he would not succeed if Lowen had anything to do with it.
Lowen bravely charged the brigand, fully intending to stop his counter prematurely. Rebecca sighed in self-disgust at her inability to aim properly under such pressure. She knew that Lowen would take care of the brigand, but still... She wished that she could help her companions in battle as much as everybody else, and that everyone would stop having to save her. She used to be her village's best huntress for crying out loud! She didn't need to be coddled and saved all the ti—
"Hey! Watch it!" Rebecca felt herself being pushed to the side by someone in bright red. It was one of the new recruits...Matthew. Yes, Matthew was his name, but why had he...oh! Somehow, the brigand had gotten past Lowen and rushed straight for his real target—her! If Matthew hadn't pushed her out of the way in time...well, now wasn't the time to dwell on that.
Hector watched Rebecca with a mixture of sympathy and antipathy. At first, he had liked the idea of having a girl in the troops who wasn't a healer, since he liked girls who could take care of themselves. But now... She should have been able to shoot better if she expects to be a help instead of a hindrance. He would have to take matters into his own hands now that Matthew had saved her life, risking his own. Matthew was now sporting a good-sized wound thanks to Rebecca's inaccuracy, but at least the brigand was dead.
"Hey, Rebecca!" Hector called.
Rebecca looked around in puzzlement. "Huh?" She caught sight of Hector yelling at her. "Oh! Lord Hector! Um...yes, sir?"
"I..." Hector had been about to tell her to get off of the battlefield, but then suddenly realized that that would not accomplish anything. Beside, Krista would hear, and then chew him out later—not something that he would look forward to.
"Um...milord?" Rebecca stared at him expectantly with her innocent, emerald eyes. And Hector saw that they were the eyes of a child, a brave and determined one, but a child nonetheless—a child who needed guidance and protection.
"Rebecca..." Hector started. "I know that you want to fight, but you should stay in the back and let us men handle it!" He grimaced as the last part of his sentence came out a little harsher than he had intended.
Rebecca was shocked into silence. All she could do was stare at him with her brilliant eyes with the question, "What?" running rampant through her mind.
Hector grew uncomfortable under her scrutinizing gaze. "Hey, don't look at me like that! I'm just—"
"Milord! Look out!" An arrow whizzed past Hector's face, cutting him across the left cheek. He turned around, his eyes locking onto the archer who had dared to shoot him. There. That little archer... He would pay. Hector grinned, and tightened his grip on his axe, forgetting all about Rebecca in his battle eagerness.
The knight of Ostia, Oswin, watched as Hector gleefully attacked the offending archer. He sighed. As a child, Hector had fought, and Oswin knew that he would continue to do so as he got older. At least, Hector had no deceitfulness in him... Still, even without that conniving spirit, Hector could still be pretty brash about serious issues—like the archer, Rebecca.
Rebecca was so lost in Hector's words that she didn't notice when Oswin was looming over her in his bulky armor. She quickly tried to regain her composure, but a tiny drop leaked out from the corner of her eye before she could stop it. "S-Sorry, about this..." she stuttered.
Oswin smiled in understanding, and Rebecca was reminded of her kind father. "It's alright, child. I know that Lord Hector can be gruff sometimes, but he really does mean well...I think." He gave her a conspirator's wink, and she gave a small laugh in return.
"Yes...thank you, Lord Oswin."
The addressed knight shook his head. "I am no lord, Rebecca, but I AM a knight who protects one. And..." He put a hand on her shoulder. "If you need protection, since I doubt Hector will need any, do not hesitate to come to me."
Rebecca filled with gratitude. "Oh, Lo—I mean, Oswin. Thank you for understanding! I believe that I will take you up on that offer, at least for a little bit. It looks like everyone else is handling the enemies just fine without my help..." She bit her lower lip to keep it from trembling, but the Ostian knight saw it anyway.
"Rebecca... They may not need you right now, but rest assured..." Oswin turned her head up, so that she was staring straight into his eyes. "They will need you and your bow later."
Rebecca smiled. "Thank you... I will be sure to be there for them when they do need me!"
Oswin nodded. "Yes."
(A/N: Hope y'all don't mind, but I'm probably just going to stay in Rebecca's point of view for the duration of this chapter. Otherwise, it would get too long, and I'm so eager to get to the chapter where Wil comes!! Oh, and this next part about Rebecca and Lowen is for you, The Story Master 125, since I know you like Rebecca/Lowen so much...:P)
Bright green eyes surveyed the battlefield. Matthew and his liege, Hector, stood triumphantly over two dead archers, Lowen waited up ahead with his javelin, ready for more archers, and Oswin stood slightly behind everyone, ready to protect his comrades if the need arose. Rebecca sighed in...boredom? Hah, she thought. It's not like they need my help or anything anyway, so why should I even try? She clasped her bow against her, just like a little child would hold a favored toy. She supposed that it wouldn't hurt her companions if she chose to stay out of the action for a little while—to sort all of her emotions out.
Rebecca got a little anxious for Lowen when an archer seemed to appear out of nowhere, but fortunately, Lowen had his javelin prepared to counter. See, Rebecca? She reprimanded herself for worrying. He had it under control all the time. A stream of blood ran down his right arm, making a pool near his horse's feet. She gulped. Maybe not everything was under control after all. Oh, screw my inaction! she thought as she ran to the trainee-knight of Pherae. She was going to help Lowen!
Lowen was getting dizzy from such a huge loss of blood. At least he had killed the archer, but not before obtaining the nice arrow in his arm as payment. Fortunately for him, the arrowhead had not been strong to begin with, so it had broken as soon as it had penetrated his armor. He winced. For such a weak arrow, it had sure caused him some damage. His head was starting to feel light, and he couldn't remember what he should do to help with the wound. Too bad, Sir Marcus wasn't here to scold him. He smiled as he thought of how quickly he would "recover" with Marcus yelling at him. Would he never get to hear that antipathetic, unsympathetic voice again?
"Lowen!" It was such a pretty voice—the voice of an angel. Was he already in heaven? "Lowen! Snap out of it!" The slap across the face woke him up to the fact that he wasn't in heaven, but he still felt woozy.
Rebecca was getting desperate. Lowen had to stay awake, so he wouldn't get killed! Slapping him wasn't going to cut it, so...she gulped. More drastic measures would have to be taken. Gathering up her courage, and feeling very stupid, Rebecca gave Lowen a fierce kiss and hoped to Roland that he wouldn't remember this later.
Lowen's eyes shot open in surprise. What the he—oh my gosh!
"Aaah!" Rebecca jumped back in shock. She hadn't been expecting him to be alert so quickly! Oh no... Did he realize...? Shoot...
The two companions stared at each other with mingled looks of shock, confusion, shame, and astonishment, and the redness of Lowen's face was surpassed only by Rebecca's own blush. "Uh...uh..." Rebecca stuttered, getting redder all the time (if that was possible).
"Um...uh..." Lowen was also having difficulty speaking.
Rebecca gritted her teeth, determined to help Lowen with his wound, even if she died of embarrassment herself. "It's not what it...uh...looks like...yeah. I-I just came to help you w-with your wound...uh..." She searched for a valid reason why she would come over to help him, and not let him take care of it himself. "Well, I...uh... You need some cloth to bind it up with...yeah. A-And since you don't have any... I came to bring you some..." She frantically hunted for a spare piece of cloth to give to Lowen, so that her story wouldn't sound so fake.
"Um...it's alright, Rebecca." Lowen still seemed a little uncomfortable, but Rebecca could tell that he was trying to be a chivalrous knight. She smiled in appreciation. "It's...uh...not really as bad as it seems... I just won't be fighting as hard for a while... Hey, you know what?"
Rebecca bit her lip in apprehension. "W-What?" she managed to stammer.
"Well..." Lowen shrugged, a slight blush still visible on his face. "You could help me fight the enemies, since I can't fight too well. I mean, y-you don't have to if you don't w-want to..."
Rebecca gave a soft smile. "Of course. I would be honored to help you fight! And besides, it would get both our minds off of—"Rebecca broke off to blush more furiously than before.
"Uh..." Lowen blushed again as well.
"..."
"..."
Rebecca cringed at the awkward silence. "Um...Lowen? I-I think we should start focusing on the battle..."
The crimson-faced Pheraen knight-in-training nodded. "Yes...that would be...uh...good..."
"...Um...OK." Rebecca grabbed an arrow and strung it. "Well, let's go then..."
Lowen nodded and grabbed his sword.
"Why are they all attacking Matthew?!" yelled Rebecca.
Lowen shrugged. "Maybe because he's wearing red?"
Rebecca rolled her eyes. "Well, aren't we going to help him?"
"Why?" Lowen asked, completely innocent of why Matthew would ever need their help.
"Why?" Rebecca's voice rose in volume. "Why?! What if he gets hurt?! It'll be our fault, and you ask why?!"
Lowen, still completely unaware of why Rebecca was so anxious to help Matthew, pointed at the thief. "But look at him." The green-haired archer reluctantly complied, and her eyes widened in disbelief.
Lowen smiled. "See? He's so fast that they don't stand a chance. He doesn't overpower his attackers, because he knows that he won't win that way. Instead, he uses his incredible agility as a thief to run circles around them, dodge their attacks, and then deliver a final blow." He sighed, and patted Hartmut on the head.
"Not jealous now, are we?" Rebecca teased.
Lowen gave her a sarcastic look. "No, of course not. Why would I ever want to be so fast that my enemies wouldn't be able to catch me?"
Rebecca's smile grew wider. "I have no idea, Lowen. No idea at all."
Lowen laughed. "Yeah, sure. I'm going now."
"Whoa, huh? Hey, wait up for me!" Rebecca clutched her bow and arrow, and hurried after Lowen. Hey, no fair! she thought. He's got a horse!
Try as she might, Rebecca could not keep up with Lowen and Hartmut. They had already raced to catch up with Matthew and...someone else. She couldn't tell who this new someone was, but she was thankful for any new recruit. The new guy and Matthew were speaking, and the guy didn't seem to be very happy. Rebecca thought she could decipher some words like "owe me" and "food", but she couldn't be too sure. Oh well, there was enough time for getting to know the new recruit later. Right now, she had other problems to deal with—like that brigand.
With her arrow already strung and ready to go, all Rebecca had to do was aim and...fire! The arrow sped through the air like a bolt, but the brigand was able to move to the side just enough for the arrow to hit his side instead of his heart. She grimaced and grabbed another arrow, vowing that he would not survive this next one.
However, as Rebecca preparing her next shot, Hector rushed in to finish the brigand off. What a glory hound! thought Rebecca. That brigand was mine! The "glory hound" wiped his axe on the ground to clean it up, and then turned around to face a frustrated Rebecca. First, he had told her that the battlefield was only a place for men, and now, he took away her chance to prove him wrong. She clenched her hands into fists, and walked stiffly up to him, fully prepared to tell him what she thought of this.
Before she could get a word in, Hector put up his hand in a gesture commanding silence. Uncompliantly, she pressed her lips together in a thin line. What did he want? "Well, Rebecca, I've been watching you fight, and..." He seemed uncomfortable, but Rebecca didn't know why he would be.
Getting impatient, she asked, "You've been watching me fight, and...what?"
"Well...oh, fine! I'm sorry, OK?! I shouldn't have said that you don't belong on the battlefield!" He glared at her, as if daring her to laugh at his apology. "You don't fight so bad...for a girl, that is."
Rebecca didn't know what to say. Hector's apology had caught her completely off-guard, and she couldn't think of a quick-enough comeback. "Uh...well. Thanks a lot, I guess." Her eyes narrowed as she remembered the recent event. "But if I'm not such a bad fighter, then why did you have to kill that brigand? I was fully prepared to handle him on my own!"
"I don't think so." Hector shook his head. "You were probably too busy to notice this, but the brigand was about to attack. And..." He brought his own iron axe as an illustration. "I don't think that you could've survived a head-on attack from one of these axes. Remember, never take your eyes off of the enemy!"
Rebecca stared at his axe, the gleaming edge sharp enough to cut through soft flesh and white bone, and shivered. "I...I guess that perhaps I should be the one apologizing to you, Lord Hector. You were right before to say that I wasn't ready, but rest assured milord, I am now." She took a deep breath. "I-I must thank you for...saving my life. I will eternally be indebt—"
"Oh, cut the courtesy," grunted Hector. "I never liked all that nonsense anyway. Just make sure that you watch your enemy from now on, alright?"
Rebecca nodded vigorously. "Yes, of course, Lord Hector!"
The addressed lord groaned. "Grr...I told you not to call me 'Lord' anything!"
"Whatever you say, Lord Hector!" shouted Rebecca as she ran away laughing. He's so fun to make mad!
Krista had done a very good job of instructing her new recruits, but there was one thing that she had neglected to mention—the enemy getting reinforcements. Experience was supposedly the best teacher, but Rebecca wished that learning wasn't so painful. She pressed her fingers against her hip wound in a pitiful attempt to stop the bleeding. A sigh escaped from her lips. Everything had been going so well...
After Hector had beaten the last brigand, Rebecca had thought that all they had to do now was defeat Boies, so naturally, she had let her guard down—a mistake that would have been fatal if not for a certain thief's interference.
Rebecca would later swear that she had not seen the arrow coming, since she had been concentrating on what Hector had said. "Watch your enemy." Unfortunately, she should've been practicing the advice instead of just pondering about it. But even if she had been looking out for more enemies, it probably wouldn't have made much of a difference, for the arrow had been shot swiftly, surely, and silently—the three 'S's of archery. If the arrow had not been shot by an enemy, Rebecca would have taken time to admire its lethal accuracy and deadly strength. However, it HAD been shot by an enemy, and had been directed toward her!
With his sharp eyes, Matthew had been able to spot the enemy reinforcement aiming for Rebecca. He knew that she wouldn't be able to move out of the way in time, so he focused his efforts on the enemy archer instead. If he could cause him to lose his concentration, then Rebecca would have a better chance of survival. A split-second decision was made, and Matthew hurled his sword toward the archer, hoping that his plan worked.
You could imagine Matthew's pleasant surprise when his sword actually connected with the archer, weakening him and causing him to let go of the string prematurely. Although much of it's power had been taken away, the arrow still sped toward Rebecca with frightening accuracy, planting itself into her hip.
Rebecca gasped, and fell to one knee, unable to scream from the shock. Where had that blasted arrow come from? She searched the battlefield frantically, worried that the enemy archer would try to fire again while she was in such a vulnerable position. Yes...the object of her search was to her left, and he seemed wounded already. Rebecca supposed that killing him would be that much easier. Gritting her teeth against the pain, and using her bow as a support, she slowly stood up. If it was her destiny to go down in this fight, she would take that archer out with her!
Unaware of Hector observing her, Rebecca struggled to string one of her arrows. She knew that she made a pitiful sight with blood running down her legs and staining her tan skirt, but she could care less about that. All she wanted now was to make that archer pay...dearly. At least he was in a worse case than she was, since Matthew's sword had made a deep gash in his arm. He wouldn't be shooting anytime soon, and that thought made Rebecca smile.
Her arrow was now strung. Rebecca wiped sweat out of her eyes, and breathed deeply to still herself—it would do no good for her to pass out with the battle still going on. Hector was still watching her, and was pleased that she refused to give in to weakness. She steadily raised her bow, pulled the string back, and shot.
The arrow sang as it cut through the air, and pierced the enemy archer through the heart. Rebecca fell to her hands and knees, gasping in pain. She was glad that she had gotten that archer, but now what could she do? First of all, she would have to get this arrow out—not a happy prospect, but it would have to be done.
Before she could touch the arrow, Rebecca felt strong hands steadying her. She looked up to see who was helping her, and was surprised when she saw that it was Hector. She had never thought of him as the helping type, but, she reminded herself, looks could be deceiving.
Hector looked in Rebecca's eyes to make sure that she understood what he was saying. "I'm going to pull this arrow out, alright? Or...do you want to do it yourself?" He sighed. "Either way, it's coming out."
Rebecca closed her eyes. "Y-You do it...please."
Hector nodded, and placed his hands on the protruding arrow. "On three. One...two..." Rebecca braced herself. "Three!"
It came out with a sickening squelch, and Rebecca was almost overcome by the nauseating pain. Well, she tried to console herself, at least the arrow was out now. She thought about standing up, but decided against it since there weren't really any enemies left—or so she thought. Besides, standing up would just cause her to exert more energy than she needed to.
"Are you OK?" Hector stood over her, still holding the bloody arrow.
"Ugh..." Rebecca turned her head away from the arrow, and nodded that she was alright.
"Well...um..." He was looking embarrassed again, and Rebecca would have laughed if she was feeling any better. "I guess if you're really feeling alright..."
"Hector!" Rebecca frantically pointed to an enemy soldier. "Behind you!"
The Ostian lord whipped around, grinning from ear to ear—fighting was something that he could handle. His face fell when he realized that it was only a puny soldier, but hey, it was still an enemy. Hector brought his axe down, cleaving the enemy's lance in two. Now that the enemy was defenseless, he would have no problem dispatching him.
Rebecca shuddered. She didn't think she would ever understand what Hector found so fun about fighting. Looking at the ruthlessly killed soldier on the ground, she decided that she didn't really want to understand. She would kill if she had to (since it was her job), but she would absolutely not enjoy it. In fact, just looking at the carnage made her sick to her stomach. Perhaps she had better take it easy for a while...
"Rebecca? Hey, Rebecca?" It was Krista. "You awake? You gave me quite a scare there..."
Rebecca opened her eyes. What had happened? The last thing that Rebecca remembered was Hector killing the soldier, and then...being very tired. Had she fainted? Her cheeks burned in self-consciousness. How embarrassing...
"Um...Rebecca? Are you awake now?" Krista was still talking.
Rebecca nodded, but then remembered that Krista was probably too far away to see. "...Yes, I'm awake. Uh... What happened? Did we get Boies? Is anyone hurt? What about Marquess Santaruz? Wh—"
"Whoa! Slow down, please!" laughed the tactician. "Now, let me see... I think you fainted or something. Yes, Boies was defeated by Hector—he's kind of scary when he fights, you know." Rebecca smiled. "Um...what else? Oh yeah... Lowen got hurt pretty badly, but then Serra healed him. It's so nice to have a healer again. Oh, and about Marquess Santaruz... We were just about to go into the castle to see what's going on with him... Was that all of your questions?"
"Well, I guess that's all..." answered Rebecca.
"Good! Now, as soon as Serra has finished healing Eliwood, she'll come over to you, OK? Then we'll enter the castle." Krista sighed. "I sure hope that Marquess Santaruz is alright..."
"I'm sure he's fine," encouraged Rebecca.
Krista smiled. "Thanks. Now you stay there and wait for Serra like a good, little archer."
Rebecca mock-bowed. "Yes, oh mighty tactician. You control all!" Then she laughed, totally ruining her attempt at seriousness.
"Uh-huh...whatever. Just stay there, OK?"
Rebecca giggled again. (A/N: Sorry I kind of skipped a lot...but I really want to get to the chapter that Wil comes in...)
"So...Eliwood, Hector, and I, are going into the castle?" asked Krista. "What about the rest of you?"
Serra jumped up and down, her hand raised up as far as it would go. "Oooh! Pick me! Pick me!!"
Krista sighed in exasperation. "You know you don't have to raise your hand, Serra..."
The cleric smiled. "Of course I know! I just wanted to be polite!" She turned her eyes onto Matthew. "Unlike some OTHER people!"
Matthew held up his hands in an innocent gesture, as if he had no idea what Serra was talking about. That seemed to make her pretty mad. "Matthew! Don't even TRY that innocent act!! I'll just—"
"Please, please!" Krista interrupted. "Stop fighting, Serra, and tell me what you're idea was! We don't have enough time to spare, you know!"
Serra pouted. "Well, fine! I was going to say that we could listen in with our communicators!"
"You mean, eavesdropping??" Lowen looked shocked at such a suggestion. "That is dishonorable!"
Serra gave him a look. "So?!" Then she turned to Krista. "We should hear what's going on, shouldn't we?"
Krista sighed, and put a hand on her forehead. "Well, I guess so... It would be a lot easier than having to explain everything later."
"Ha! See? Krista's on my side!" shouted Serra.
Lowen winced at Serra's high-pitched voice. "Fine. I suppose not having to explain things later would save us valuable time."
Krista clapped her hands together. "So, have y'all decided what you're going to do?"
"Yep! We sure have!" Serra exclaimed. Matthew shook his head, and muttered something under his breath.
The tactician tried to hide her smile. "Well then, Eliwood, Hector, and I, will head into the castle. Oh, and try to listen and not talk a lot, OK?"
Serra saluted and bowed. "Yes, ma'am!"
If he remembered correctly, Lord Helman's room would be just around the corner... Aha! Here it was. Eliwood knocked lightly and called Helman's name, but nobody answered. Perhaps they had better go in to see if everything was alright...
Upon opening the door, Eliwood gasped. Faint light came from the window, giving the room an eerie glow. Tints of red were splattered here and there—the red of blood. Lord Helman's blood. Eliwood quickly closed his eyes, but the image was still there, burned into his mind.
A cry tore itself from his throat. "Lord Helman!!"
Helman lifted his hand at hearing his voice. He thought that it was Eliwood, but he couldn't be sure. Perhaps it was just another of Ephidel's tricks. Helman just had to know for sure, because if it really was Eliwood, he would have to be warned... "...Is that you...Eliwood?"
Eliwood blinked rapidly to clear his eyes as he, and Hector, and Krista, rushed to Helman's side. "Hold on, my lord!"
"I... I must apologize..." Hector and Krista helped Helman sit up. "You father... He..."
Eliwood's eyes widened at the mentioning of his father. "Do you know something, sir?"
"I... ..." Helman closed his eyes in pain. "If I hadn't told Elbert...about...Darin's plans... This would...never...have..." His frail body shook with fits of coughing, so that he wasn't able to finish his statement.
"Lord Helman!"
Helman grabbed a hold of Eliwood with frightening strength for such an old man. "Go to Laus... Darin...the marquess of Laus...knows all."
Eliwood looked confused. "Marquess Laus?"
Marquess Santaruz's spasms got worse, and he feared the worst. "I'm sorry, Eliwood... I...I can't..."
Eliwood held onto Helman's cold hands in a feeble attempt to warm them. "Hold on!"
Helman stared straight into Eliwood's eyes. This boy...he had to be warned... "Beware...the Black...Fang........." Krista gasped as Helman's body became limp and slack—lifeless.
"Lord Helman!" Eliwood held Helman's hands still tighter.
Hector came up behind Eliwood, and put a hand on his shoulder. "He's gone..."
Eliwood let go, his eyes haunted and helpless. "It can't be..."
Rebecca couldn't see through her tears. Why did this have to happen? Why? She looked around at everyone else. Some were crying like she was, others were valiantly trying to stave off their grief, and others were wearing emotionless masks, refusing to give in to the hopelessness. But no matter what she saw on the outside, Rebecca knew that they were all thinking the same thing: Where would they go now?
When her communicator crackled, Rebecca jumped up in startlement. Apparently, Eliwood, Hector, and Krista, weren't done talking yet. She wiped her eyes clear of tears, and listened closely.
"Lord Helman... Why..." It was Eliwood. "...Why did this happen?"
Hector pounded his fist onto the ground. "Blast! What is going on?!?"
"......" Eliwood stared straight ahead, not really focusing on anything in particular. "We go to Laus. We must speak to the marquess of Laus, Lord Darin."
Hector nodded, seeing the wisdom in Eliwood's decision. "You're right. We should leave quickly. I'm not sure how far we can get today, but..." He proceeded to pace back and forth, like a caged animal. "I can't sit still."
The door squeaked as someone came into the room, and Hector spun around wielding his axe. Maybe it was Marquess Santaruz's killer coming back to finish the job! Krista grabbed the closest piece of furniture, so that she could throw it at the stranger if he was a threat to them. Eliwood stood silent, still in mental paralysis at Lord Helman's death.
As it turned out, Krista and Hector had not needed to get weapons, for the stranger was just the steward of Santaruz. His face was haggard and drawn. "Please..." he implored. "With our lord gone, what are we to do?"
Krista gave a smile in sympathy and understanding. "First, you must give Lord Helman a proper burial, and after that..." She sighed. "I'm sure the Lycian Council will have to meet."
Hector nodded. "Stay here and defend the castle until you hear more."
"I understand." The steward bowed, and then left.
Krista watched him leave, and made up her mind to leave too. "Let's go," she ordered. "We must keep moving."
Hector stared at the body of Lord Helman. "Yes...and now we seek answers for Marquess Santaruz, too."
"..." Eliwood closed his eyes in respect. "Lord Helman... May you find peace."
Rebecca felt tears coursing down her cheeks. But at least they now had a goal—to go to Laus and speak with Lord Darin. She gathered her hands into fists. If he had anything to do with Lord Helman's death...he would pay. She would make sure of that.
Rebecca: Poor Lord Helman! Why did you make him DIE???
Me: ::hides in a corner:: Meep...it wasn't my fault! He died in the game...
Rebecca: Yeah, sure! Blame the game, will you?! You're so pathetic.
Me: Hey! Watch it! I could still pair you up with someone other than Wil if you don't behave!
Rebecca: Ack! Alright, OK...I surrender.
Me: Now be a good little muse and tell the nice people to review.
Rebecca: ::mutters something under breath::
Me: What? I didn't hear that!
Rebecca: ::puts on a fake smile:: Be...nice...people...and...review...
Me: Hehehe! Oh, and by the way, I wouldn't pair you up with anyone but Wil...at least in this fic.
Rebecca: Grr...
Me: ::sweatdrop:: Uh...why are you looking at me like that? Aaaah! Somebody save me!!!!!!
Rebecca: ::smiles evilly::
Random question: I know that this might sound dumb, but...what color are Lyn's, Rath's, and Guy's hair?? At first, I thought that Lyn's was blue, Rath's was brown, and Guy's was black...but I'm not so sure anymore. I heard from somewhere that all the Sacaen people had green hair, so now I'm confused...::sigh::
Random fact: OK... These are the couples that are probably going to be in this fic:
Eliwood/Lyn (since I don't like Ninian...sorry)
Kent/Fiora (yay!)
Hector/Florina (sorry for you people that don't like this couple...I personally like Wil/Florina better, but she can't end up with him in this fic for obvious reasons)
Wil/Rebecca (W00t!!!!!!!)
Erk/Serra (so funny together)
Heath/Priscilla (so romantic...sigh)
Pent/Louise (um...they ARE married...)
Jaffar/Nino (read their A support!!)
Uh...I think that's all for now... Please review.