Disclaimer: Huh? What's a disclaimer for? ... ... ...Fine! I don't own Fire Emblem or Apujananta's walkthrough! ::cries::
Rebecca: Stop drawing and start working more on your stories!!!
Kira: Yeah. :)
Me: Aaaah! Who are you??
Kira: I'm hyliansage's muse. Remember? I was willing to help Rebecca out for a little bit! So...here I am! :)
Rebecca: Isn't that nice?
Me: ::sweatdrop::
Rebecca: Don't just stare at her like that!! Say, "Hello, Kira! It's so nice to meet you! I'll stop being a buttmunch about updating my stories now that you're here!" SAY IT! ::glares::
Me: ::is too busy being scared to say anything::
Kira: Um, Rebecca? What's wrong with her?
Rebecca: ::shrugs:: What's right with her?
Me: Waaah...Leave me alone!
Rebecca: Not until you say it!
Me: ...Hello, Kira... It's so...nice to meet...you... I'll...stop...being...a...buttmunch... What the--! What the heck is a buttmunch??
Kira: Oh, I know! :)
Me: OK...
Kira: You are! :D
Me: O.O
Rebecca: Nice job, Kira! We'll make an evil muse out of you yet!
Kira: Thanks, Rebecca! ::high-five each other::
Me: ......
Kira: Aww...You're looking sad! Why don't you say thank-you to all the nice reviewers?
Me: OK...
Hyliansage: Thanks for your review, but why did you have to volunteer Kira?? Hehehe...J/K. Kira's pretty cool...but don't make a habit out of volunteering her, OK? :) Rebecca's hard enough...::sigh:: Sadly, Wil is in the next chapter and not this one...but I so wish he was! TT Yes, I love Matt/Leila too...and I wish I could save her in my ficcy, but... I'm trying to be true to the game... Oooh! Spoiler for your ficcy! Hehehe...luv those! How many chapters do you think Wish will have? I'm excited...hehehe. I'm glad you like Dart/Farina! Makes me happy. It's kind of sad that Rebecca isn't one of the main characters, so she doesn't get a cool CG...waaah... Oh well... You liked my explanations? ::starry-eyed:: Yay! I tried to give good reasons, but...I felt like I ranted a lot...meh. I can't wait for a certain story from you...::whistles innocently:: Thankies again for lovely review!
Houyoku: ::nods:: Drawing and writing are definitely both great things of the world. :P ::gasp:: You have an idea for a Rebecca/Lowen? Write it, write it! Pwease? You're so good at writing...I'm sure you could just take a random idea out of the sky and turn it into something beautiful and elegant on paper...so... What am I trying to say? Write the one-shot! ;D Unless you're too busy, of course...wouldn't want to stress you out. Thanks for saying that about the critical hits. :) I get the most random ideas when I'm listening to music in front of a blank computer screen...hehehe. I hope FE6 will be released soon! ::loves Roy and Wolt:: Thanks for reviewing! ::hugs:: Btw...We have to get you a muse soon! ::smiles evilly::
SweetMisery430: Jaffar/Nino and Kent/Fiora seem to be the couples that everyone seems to like, which is fine with me. :) I'm glad you're not totally against Eliwood/Lyn now, since I gave a reason...I like giving explanations to practically everything I do...::sigh:: Darn school, making me explain everything all the time...! Wow, Nino...Erk/Ninian? O.o;;; Hehehe...It's OK. Rebecca's sometimes (coughallthetimecough) self-centered, too. Maybe it's a muse thing...::shrugs:: Thanks for reviewing! :D
Sword of Seals (A.K.A. – Sauce): Hehe...Sorry about the 'sauce' thing...I just couldn't resist. ::nervous smile:: Yay! I'm glad that you like Rebecca/Wil, Kent/Fiora, and Heath/Priscilla, too! Oh yeah...I love Harken/Isadora too, but somehow managed to forget to put them on the list. ::gasp:: Bad me! Oh well...They're almost like a canon couple anyway, since Isadora obviously loves him. She's says his name if she dies for goodness sake! Yes, yes! Continue working on your Harken/Isadora story!! Can't wait to read more! Thanks for reviewing! :D
The Sword Master 125: Mwahahaha! You have a muse now! XD Wow...I wish I could not listen to my muse for a while, but then she would get me back later...::sigh:: I'm such a coward... Oooh...taking Adriana's Eliwood privileges away for a whole two days? You drive a hard bargain. Good job! :D I tried doing that with Rebecca and Wil, but it only worked for the first few times... I'll have to find another weakness...hehehe. Thanks for reviewing! ::hugs:: And btw... When are you going to update? I want to read more now that the great and mighty love confession has taken place...
Burning phoneix: Sorry for taking so long with updates...::smiles nervously:: I just haven't had many good ideas lately...::sigh:: I really wish I could promise to update regularly...but I know I wouldn't so... Oh wow...You know what I just realized? I'm going on a trip and won't be back until July 18... Waaah...I won't be able to write or read fanfiction...::sniff:: Oh yeah...The mission was to protect Merlinus for 7 turns...heh. I guess I forgot...bad me, bad me. Omg...I don't think I'll ever write something as good as chapter 6...but I'll try. It's hard to write a really good chapter, and then try to write more of that same caliber, if you know what I mean... Yay! I'm glad you like Dart/Farina! :P I'll try to update soon...::sigh:: Thanks again for reviewing! Oh, and you can flame if you want...I don't mind that much...
DTN: Yes! Another person who likes Dart/Farina! ::is happy:: Yeah, I had the pleasure of reading their ending...hahaha! XD Dart seemed really clueless, but that's what made it cute! Oh yeah...I keep forgetting that Pherae's where Rebecca lives... I guess my mind just didn't make that little connection... ::gasp:: If I paired Eliwood with Fiora and Hector with Florina, Roy and Lilina would be...related??? Aaaaah! I will never, ever, pair Eliwood and Fiora up together now...hehehe. Sadly, I have not seen the CG for Hector and Florina...I really want to though! And the CG for Eliwood/Lyn, Hector/Lyn, Eliwood/Ninian...heck. I just want to see all the pretty pictures! Hehehe...Thanks for your review!
????: It's fine that you didn't review every chapter. :) Oooh...one thing. School = Evilness! That is a fact of life that everyone should know. Omg! I can't wait for Wil to come either! Maybe I just should have skipped some chapters to get to Wil...but that would be cheating. Hehehe... Aww...thanks for saying I write well...I don't really...but you're so sweet for saying it! ::hugs:: Alright! Another person who agrees with all the couples I'm putting in! I was afraid a lot of people would not be happy them, but happily, I haven't gotten that many complaints. Thanks for looking at my artwork! ::is very happy:: Yes, get a scanner, so you can share your pretty pictures with the world! :D Thanks for reviewing!
Yoshimo: Wil/Rebecca is one of your favorite pairings? :D Mine too! It's fine if you like Erk/Priscilla better... Personally, I don't like pairing Serra up with anybody, 'cause she seems like the free-spirited kind of girl...but I already had Heath in mind for Priscilla, and she couldn't end up with Erk if she ended up with Heath...and I wanted to pair Erk up with somebody, and Serra was his only other option. Their ending is pretty funny, though. XD Yes! Poor little Florina did need more options... Hahaha...loved your explanation of Brimmimond (spelling??) talking with Serra! XD I want to meet him now...hehehe. Thanks for your review!
Reiko5: Yay! Yet another person who agrees with all my pairings! ::hugs Reiko and Rei:: I'm too scared to hug Dark...hehehe. Oooh! T.A.G... I liked the acronym! I go crazy over those...heh. Yeah, I'm weird...::sigh:: Hah...I'm glad Rebecca doesn't live in my mind...I don't think I could last more than a day...but that's just me. Another sword for Dark? ::shudder:: Mommy save me... Whoa...um...OK...That was really random...hehehe. Um...Thanks a lot for reviewing!
Um...OK. This is probably one of the most random chapters I've ever written... You'll understand when you read the middle part...gah... It's...interesting...::nervous smile::
After stopping to help Merlinus, the group pursued their original course to Laus. Normally, Rebecca liked walking, seeing new sights, and listening to nature, but not today. It felt like she had been walking for practically forever, the trees and small buildings were all starting to look the same, and the chattering of the birds was starting to get on her nerves.
"Someone should just shoot them..." she muttered angrily.
"Whoa..." Krista gave Rebecca a sidelong glance, raising an eyebrow. "What's gotten you so riled up today?"
Rebecca sighed, and flipped her braids back. "Sorry...I just can't stand walking one more step." She gave a greater sigh. "How long are we going to keep walking like this?"
The tactician smiled. "We'll be there soon enough. Actually..." She pointed to a hill about half a mile away. "Laus is just over that hill. If you can hang on just long enough... We'll soon be indulging in all the leisures that Laus has to offer...which probably isn't that much." She added the last part as an afterthought.
"Hm?" Rebecca gave Krista an inquiring look. "Why would Marquess Laus be that nice to us?"
"Well..." Krista explained. "I heard that Marquess Laus's son used to be an acquaintance of Eliwood's, and it's a well-known fact that these nobles like to impress old friends with a showing of their power and wealth." She shrugged. "Don't ask me why, though. I'm just happy that we'll be able to rest for a bit. Never pass up a free meal, right?" She winked, and Rebecca felt her spirits lifting at the thought of a warm meal and a real bed.
Ah...That would be so nice...
A man paced back and forth restlessly, his shoes clanking against the stone floor of his castle. He had short, dark purple hair, almost brown, chiseled features, and a mouth set into a deep frown. He was certainly upset at something, for he swung around almost violently, spitting out his words scathingly and harshly.
"Are you certain? Pherae's heir is here?"
The recipient of these questions appeared to be related to the man, for their features were very much alike—only this man was younger and had brown hair. He bowed to the first man, and then gave his answer. "Yes, Father. We've just received word from our lookouts. He's still beyond that hill, but he'll be here before long." It was a swift statement, leaving details out, but good enough for the moment. Besides, it didn't look like his father wanted to here anything more.
The agitated, purple-haired man turned to face someone in a black cloak. One golden eye was the only trait that could be seen for the man kept his hood up. He looked a lot like...
"Lord Ephidel!" spat out the aggravated man. "What is the meaning of this?"
Ephidel did not seem at all perturbed at the man's show of anger. In fact, his silky voice gave no hint of emotion. "Perhaps when they reached Santaruz Castle, Lord Helman was still clinging to life." he replied quite calmly.
"Y-You can't be serious!" cried the purple-haired man.
Ephidel shrugged, as if it didn't really matter that much to him. "He couldn't have lasted too long, but..." A hint of annoyance showed in his golden eyes, but only for a moment. "Maybe he told them something."
The man grabbed his head and moaned in exasperation. "That's terrible! Our plan!" He stared into Ephidel's eyes. "It's all for naught, isn't it?"
To the man's great discomfort, Ephidel stared back with great intensity—so much so, that the man lowered his eyes. Then Ephidel spoke, soothingly and smoothly, as if he were berating a child. "No need to be so alarmed, my lord." The last part was said sarcastically. Perhaps he did not believe that Marquess Laus deserved the title. "Even if he told young Eliwood something of our schemes," he continued. "Pherae no longer has any power. All Eliwood could do is perhaps inform Marquess Ostia."
This information did not comfort the purple-haired man at all—it made him worse. "Ostia?!" he screeched. "That would be ruinous! Lord Uther may be young and new to the throne, but he's dangerous..." The man slammed his hand onto the nearest object—a column—and grew red in his face, both at the pain his actions caused and his frustration. "That Helman! He was a coward to the end! To betray us now, when we're so close..." He paused slightly to catch his breath. "We only need a little more time to complete our plans for rebellion!"
Ephidel smiled sardonically. "Then before Marquess Ostia becomes aware of any of this, you would do well to stop them here."
The man breathed deeply to calm down. "Yes, you're right, of course." His eyes lit up, a gleam of sadistic hope in them. "We do have a chance! They have to pass through Laus to get to Ostia. We can silence them!"
Ephidel nodded. "They must not pass." His golden eyes darted quickly to the brown-haired man, and then back again. "No matter what the cost."
The purple-haired man clapped his hands together. "Then let us make haste! Call up our finest troops!" He was about to dictate more orders when the brown-haired man stopped him.
"Father! Please, let me take the command."
The purple-haired man froze, different emotions running across his face—surprise, doubt, and perhaps even a little worry for his son. "Erik!" he cried. "Tell men, son, can you succeed?"
Erik smirked. "That clod Eliwood and I studied together in Ostia. He's a trusting fool. If he sees me, he'll lower his guard." Erik's smirk grew wider. "And when he does, we strike!"
Erik's father stroked his chin, a small grin beginning on his face. "I see..."
"I beg your pardon..." It was Ephidel. "If, by some strange chance, Erik fell, things could turn for the worse." he warned.
The purple-haired man waved his hand, calling for silence. "No, I know I'm the lad's father, but Erik's quite clever, I tell you. Snuffing Pherae's whelp will be no trouble at all."
Ephidel gave a mock bow, and left the room. Erik's father sighed, relieved that he was gone. Then he turned to his son, grinning perniciously.
"It's settled!" he announced. "It's up to you now, Erik. Bring me the head of Pherae's darling son!"
Erik smiled, just like his father. "Yes, Father! I will not fail you!"
Just one more step, and they would be over the hill... Rebecca happily took that one step, and gasped at her first sight of Laus. Having been raised in a peaceful province, it was a shock to see what Laus looked like. It was...a battleground, or at least, that's what it looked like to Rebecca.
She had never seen more metalworkers in one place before, hammering away at the lances—so many lances! She shuddered as she saw a few javelins—lances that could be thrown, and an archer's worst nightmare. Well, Rebecca frowned, thinking of many things that were worse than javelins, maybe not their worst nightmare. She saw a few arrows and swords every now and then, but overall, this was a lance-producing area.
Hearing a whinny, she turned toward the sound. Her jaw dropped. There were so many horses! Stallions, mares, chargers, geldings... And in so many different colors too! Chestnut, sorrel, white, black, spotted, gray... Rebecca's mind spun with all the sights that she saw—sights that pointed toward one thing. War.
Hector was the first to break the uncanny silence that had settled upon the group at their first glimpse of Laus. "They truly are preparing for battle. Hm..." He brought his eyebrows together in concentration. "Marquess Laus! What is he scheming?"
Uneasy silence prevailed—even Serra wasn't saying anything.
Still, Hector wanted someone to talk, so he turned to Eliwood, trying to think of an alright topic. "So..." he started. "You don't much look like you want to go to the castle."
Eliwood turned his eyes to his friend, and sighed. "If we go and learn the truth... We may have to go to war." Rebecca gulped. That wouldn't be too good...
"That's fine with me!" declared Hector.
"I..." Eliwood still looked uneasy, and Rebecca couldn't blame him. "I've no love for war. If I concentrate on the foe before me, I'm fine. If I picture families, innocents, caught up in our foolish politics? If I imagine them..." He shook his head. "All I can do is pray for a way to solve things peacefully."
Again, silence reigned supreme as everyone thought about Eliwood's words. Rebecca thought about her family and friends back in Pherae, and she also thought about her family and friends that weren't in Pherae. Dan... Wil... Where are you...? I hope you're safe...
"Lord Eliwood!" Marcus broke the silence, pointing to a figure in the distance. "A knight has ridden forth from the castle."
"A lone knight?" asked Eliwood.
"Yes, my lord." Marcus answered. "It looks like Marquess Laus's son, Erik, but I can't be too sure with these old eyes of mine."
"Don't worry, my lords!" exclaimed Lowen. "I will go forth, and see if this knight is of any threat to you." Then he rode off on Hartmut before anybody could stop him.
"That Lowen..." Marcus sighed. "His heart's in the right place, but he's just a bit too eager sometimes..." Rebecca wholeheartedly agreed, although she thought it was very brave of him to encounter an enemy by himself.
Soon, Lowen returned bearing a message. "That was indeed Erik, Marquess Laus's son, and he's asking to see you, Eliwood."
The Pheraen lordling diplomatically hid his surprise. "Erik?"
Hector, on the other hand, wasn't as good at hiding his feelings as Eliwood. "Gah..." he complained. "Why did it have to be that buffoon?"
Eliwood rolled his eyes at Hector calling someone a buffoon. "I will go and see him." he declared.
"Well, go then..." growled Hector. "I don't trust him, though. Just..." He handed Eliwood his communicator. "Keep this on, OK?"
Eliwood nodded, touched by Hector's act. "Alright... Let's just hope that I won't have to use it..." He took his communicator, and headed off to talk with Erik.
He stared at Erik from a safe distance, trying to see if it was the same Erik from their childhood. He looked more rugged, but that was to be expected. Other than that, Eliwood saw no other outward change in Erik's appearance. But...as one of his tutors used to say, "Appearances can be deceiving." Putting on a pleasant face, Eliwood forced himself to move closer to Erik.
Erik saw motion at the corner of his eye—it was Eliwood...alone. Marquess Laus's son smiled. This would be easier than he had first anticipated. "Hello!" he called. "It's been a long time, Eliwood!"
The red-head didn't beat around the bush. "Erik... What is your business?"
Erik was taken-aback at Eliwood brusque comment. Perhaps this wouldn't be so easy after all. "My business? What do you mean?" asked Erik, feigning ignorance. "I heard my old friend was here in Laus. I merely thought I'd ride out to greet you!"
Eliwood was silent, so Erik attempted to change the subject. He had to find out if Eliwood had had any contact with Ostia. "So tell me, friend, what brings you to Laus? Are you...on your way to Ostia?"
"Hm?" Eliwood narrowed his eyes slightly. "Why would you think that?"
"Well..." Erik frantically searched for a reason. "You...you were always such good friends with Hector. He and I never...got along very well. For a noble, his behavior was crude, and his manner of speech... You would have thought him a peasant on first glance."
"I'll give you crude behavior." Hector snarled, curling his hands into fists.
"Ssshh!" snapped Krista. "Are you forgetting that they can hear us, too?"
Hector looked sheepish. "Oh..." He lowered his voice considerably. "I'm going to go down there, and give that Erik a piece of my mind!" he whispered fiercely.
Thankfully, Erik was too intent on getting information out of Eliwood that he didn't hear Hector. "You're still friends with Hector, aren't you?" The Laus lordling asked, seemingly innocent. "When did you see him last? How do you communicate?"
"Erik..." Eliwood began, cutting Erik off in the midst of asking his many questions. "You're after something." Eliwood stated as matter-of- factly as he could. "What is it?"
"Pardon?" inquired Erik, still trying (but failing) to feign ignorance.
Eliwood sighed. "Everywhere I look, Laus prepares for battle." He made a sweeping gesture with his hands. "What are you and your father planning?" The volume of his voice rose. "I will know the truth!"
"Hm..." Erik frowned at the turn of conversation. "I'd hoped to wait until you'd told me of Ostia. Of whether you've spoken with the marquess or not."
Eliwood shook his head, not understanding what Erik what muttering about. "What are you talking about?"
"Hm heh heh..." Erik stared intently into Eliwood's eyes, and for the first time in his life, Pherae's son knew what pure hatred looked like—it was staring at him. "Eliwood!" growled Erik. "I have always despised you. How I've longed to smash you and your pathetic morality into pieces! I've dreamed of this day, and here it is at last!" With malice burning strongly within him, Erik pulled out his hidden lance, and prepared to strike.
"Too bad you'll not live to see the end of it." Hector stated as he came up next to his friend. Eliwood let out a sigh of relief. Good timing, Hector.
"Y-You!" sputtered Erik. "Hector! You couldn't..." His eyes widened in fear. "Have you spoken with Ostia already?"
Hector whistled innocently—or as innocently as he could be, being himself and all. "Maybe we have, maybe we haven't." Then he leaned closer to Eliwood. "Eliwood, this mongrel has troops lying in ambush all around us. Laus regulars, every one. Krista just warned me by communicator."
Erik smirked. "Heh heh... There's little point in fighting. You're trapped! My forces will overwhelm you, an unending torrent of soldiers! Laus's elite knights are at the ready as well." He laughed maniacally as he pointed at Eliwood and Hector. "How long do you think you can survive?" He rode away, still laughing.
Eliwood looked at Hector. "Don't worry, my friend. He'll get what's coming to him."
Hector nodded. "Oh, he'll get what's coming to him alright...ME!" He patted his Wolf Beil fondly. "And my axe..."
(A.N. – Um...hope y'all don't mind, but...Hannah, the old lady who does the augury and stuff... She's probably not going to be in this fic...just 'cause I think she's not that important to the story... Correct me if I'm wrong, though, please! I haven't finished the game yet, so...I don't know if she has a big part to play or anything...TT So...yeah. On with the story!)
As one of her village's best hunters, Rebecca was used to shooting deer and boar—game animals. However, shooting horses was a different matter altogether. She had always thought of horses as noble creatures, worthy of respect, and her beliefs had been solidified by Hartmut and Roland—Lowen's and Marcus's horses, respectively. Since she was one of the designated cooks, she could raid the pantry as much as she wanted as long as everyone else still had enough to eat. Every once in a while, she would slip Hartmut and Roland a carrot or two, and would smile as the horses gobbled them up.
Rebecca shook her head. She couldn't think about Hartmut and Roland right now. It would just make shooting the enemy horses that much harder, and she didn't want to endanger anymore of her comrades just because of a slight hesitation. Gripping her bow firmly, she nocked an arrow and looked around for an enemy.
There! Bartre had managed to kill the rider, but in doing so, he had put himself in a very vulnerable position—right under the horse's hooves! Rebecca quickly aimed at the beast's heart, or at least, where she thought the heart would be, and let her arrow fly. With a whinny, the stallion fell, foam gathered at it's mouth.
"Ugh..." Rebecca turned away. She had only seen one animal foam at the mouth once before, and that had been an extremely angry, rabid dog.
"Hm..." Animals usually didn't foam at the mouth unless they were angry... A thought came to Rebecca: What if the Laus soldiers are mistreating the poor creatures? With that supposition in mind, she felt a little bit better about shooting the enemy horses, but only a little bit. She still hoped to avoid killing them, but if the horses were so mad with rage and hurt... Rebecca sighed. There was probably little that could be done for them.
The clang of lance against sword startled Rebecca out of her musing. She scanned the battlefield for the source of this harsh sound, and found Guy struggling with a cavalier. She gasped in surprise. What had possessed Guy to make him think that he could overtake a lance-user, and a mounted lance-user at that? Well, whatever had possessed him, Rebecca would not abandon a comrade-in-arms.
She moved swiftly into shooting range of the enemy cavalier, and strung an arrow. Aiming at the rider, she shot. Bullseye! Her arrow had found its way into the man's throat, achieving an instant death. At least it was a quick death, Rebecca thought. Now, to do the same to his mount...
Gathering herself together for another shot, she looked up to spot her target—and stared into the biggest brown eyes she had ever encountered. Rebecca could not help but be drawn in by such huge, pleading eyes. She dimly registered the battles going on around her—Eliwood cutting down a cavalier, Guy running to defeat an archer, Lowen attacking yet another cavalier...but none of it seemed to matter when she stared into those orbs. Being so mesmerized by those eyes, she failed to notice what they were attached to—the horse.
Rebecca gasped and stumbled back as she realized that she had been staring into the eyes of her enemy. She could have been killed! War horses were awesome allies in battle, but that meant that they were terrifying enemies as well. Rebecca hurriedly grabbed an arrow, fully prepared to defend herself from...from...
The horse was just standing there gazing at her with those eyes...and Rebecca felt all aggression leave her. It made no hostile action, nor tried to run away. This made no sense! Weren't war horses supposed to be, well...not like this?
Rebecca took this lapse in battle to observe the puzzling horse. It...no, "she"...was a beautiful chestnut, and if the light hit her just right... Rebecca gave a little gasp of delight. The horse's chestnut color changed to a rich gold. The dazzling effect half-blinded Rebecca, and she raised her hand to shade her eyes. Wrong move.
Apparently, Rebecca's assumption about Laus riders mistreating their mounts was right on the spot. Taking the archer's action as aggression, the horse brayed loudly and pawed the ground nervously, about to gallop to safety. However, curiosity made her stay near the archer. She had never seen such a human before. Most of her life, she had been around rowdy, obnoxious humans that had whipped and abused her—molding her into a fighter...a killer.
The mare remembered a time that one of her "masters", as they liked to call themselves, bound a human to pole and hit her, just like they did to some of the horses. It had confused the mare at the time, but soon, she had come to recognize that there seemed to be different kinds of humans. The ones that beat other humans, and the ones that took the beating. And after a while, she began to see the differences between the beaters and the beat. The beaters were always loud and harsh, while the ones being beaten were usually smaller and were shaped differently from the beaters. The mare didn't understand why they were beat, but that made them friend in her opinion. And this green-haired girl looked like a possible friend. The mare sure hoped so...she had had enough of being hit all the time...
Rebecca quickly brought her hand down, correctly guessing why the mare was so upset. Getting an idea, she outstretched her hand in a gesture of "come here". Her common sense screamed at her to stop this foolish action, for the mare would just bite it...wouldn't she? Rebecca understood how irrational she was being, but for some reason, her hand stayed outstretched—beckoning the mare to come closer.
The mare whinnied and stepped daintily forward, unsure of what to do next. As if in a trance, Rebecca calmly walked forward toward the mare, looking neither to the right nor to the left. The archer extended a hand, and with a slight show of hesitation, patted the mare on the nose.
The mare gave out a startled neigh, but didn't make any other indication of displeasure. In fact, she seemed to be enjoying Rebecca's petting, for she had never felt anything like it before—it actually felt good. Having been a war horse for Laus, the mare had always thought of human hands as bad things—things that carried the whip and the lash. But now... She whickered in pleasure, maybe some human hands weren't so bad after all.
Rebecca relaxed as she petted the mare. "Well, girl..." The mare looked at her curiously. "What's going to happen to you now that your master's gone?"
The mare gave a snort, as if to say that her master wasn't all that good to begin with.
Rebecca chuckled, and an idea came to her out of the blue. "Say... Do you want to come along with us? We could sure use another horse."
The horse nodded vigorously, and Rebecca smiled. "You don't understand a word I'm saying to you, do you?"
Again, the mare nodded vigorously, happy that Rebecca was smiling.
"You silly creature!" laughed Rebecca. "Well...since you seem perfectly willing to come along with me, I might as well give you a name, right? How about..." She glanced at the mare's coat—shining golden in the sunlight. "...Kin?"
The mare turned her head sideways to stare at Rebecca inquisitively.
"Oh, Kin means 'golden', and I thought that since your coat was that color..." Rebecca tried to explain.
Kin frolicked around like an excited, young colt, apparently delighted by her new name.
That made Rebecca beam. "Good, I'm glad you like it!" she exclaimed. "Now... Will you let me ride you?" she asked hopefully.
Kin nodded and pawed the ground, seemingly eager to get going.
"OK!" cried Rebecca, excited at the prospect of riding a horse.
(A.N. – Can anyone tell that I like horses? ::nervous smile:: And I know that Rebecca doesn't have a horse in the game, but I just read Wil's and Rath's support conversation again and thought it would be cute if Rebecca tried to teach Wil how to ride... Yes, I get weird ideas like that all the time... Anyways...)
"Pirates??" shouted Rebecca atop of Kin. "What are pirates doing here? They don't work for Laus do they?"
Matthew, the enigmatic thief, shook his head. "No, I don't think they do... They're probably just coming because they see a fight and suspect it's the best time to raid." He looked quizically at Kin, but thought better of asking.
"Oh..." Rebecca saw the sense in his explanation. "So... Do we stop them? I mean, if they're going to raid Laus, wouldn't it help us?"
"I—"
Matthew was interrupted by a crackle in his right ear. "Hey, Matthew?"
"Um...yes, Krista?"
"It would be quite helpful if you and Rebecca could dispatch the pirates."
Rebecca watched Matthew's expression as he talked with Krista. He seemed confused for some reason, as if Krista was making an unusual request. "Well... Why?" Matthew asked the tactician.
Krista sighed. "Serra just happened to see Erk, and he said that he would join us if we protected his employer, who was in the village to the south—the village that the pirates just happen to be heading toward right now!" She emphasized the last two words so strongly that Matthew winced.
"Ow..." he grumbled. "Fine, fine. We'll take care of everything. Oh, and say hello to Erk for me, will you? ...Thanks."
His conversation with Krista finished, Matthew turned to Rebecca. "OK. I just found out that we do indeed have to stop the pirates. Something about Erk's employer having to be protected..." A smile suddenly crossed his face. "Hah. If she's anything like Serra, she won't need any protection. Her voice would scare every enemy away!"
Rebecca giggled. "Oh, come on. Serra's not that bad..."
At Matthew's pointed look, she burst out laughing. "Besides..." she started, trying to change the subject. "Who's Erk?"
Matthew smiled. "Oh, you'll know him when you see him. He's got purple hair, and he's a mage—you know, someone who uses anima magic? In fact..." The thief scanned the battlefield, and pointed at a flash of lightning. "That's probably him using his magic."
"Really?" asked Rebecca. "I thought it looked more like a storm was heading our way..."
Matthew feigned disdain. "How can you doubt my ability and my keen eyesight? That's definitely his magic."
Rebecca shrugged. "Whatever, Matthew. Now...weren't we supposed to go stop some pirates?"
"Of course," he replied. "And by the way..."
"Yes?"
"That was Erk's magic."
"Matthew!"
Water soaked his hair and clothes, his shoes were covered in mud, thunder deafened him, lightning flashes blinded him, and through it all, she was there on her pretty little horse with a smug smile on her face.
"Don't you dare say anything, Rebecca!"
The girl archer just kept smiling—she didn't have to say anything.
Matthew sighed. "Fine. You were right, OK? Happy now?"
Rebecca's eyes danced. "Very much so. Haha...Come on, Matthew. It was just a—" She grabbed her bow and nocked an arrow. "Duck!"
The thief quickly fell to the ground, cursing the day water and dirt had mixed together to make mud. Rebecca's arrow flew past him to land in a pirate's throat, and with a gurgling cry, the enemy collapsed. Unfortunately, the pirate wasn't the only one who involuntarily dropped to the ground.
Kin reared up in the air, her eyes wide with fear, and Rebecca was thrown from the saddle. She landed right next to Matthew, who just laughed as he tried to help her up.
"Haha... What did you do to make your horse mad like that?"
Rebecca looked at Kin, who seemed calm enough now. "I don't know... It's not the storm... Maybe..." Her eyes went from her bow and arrows to Kin and then back to her weapons—she put two and two together. "I have a hunch..."
The archer went slowly toward Kin, hiding her weapons behind her back. The mare stared at her inquisitively, probably wondering what Rebecca was doing.
Kin didn't have to wait long to find out, for as soon as Rebecca got within an arms-length, she brought out her arrows.
For the second time, Kin reared up in fear and confusion. Why was a friend coming at her with weapons? She didn't understand. Only hurtful people carried weapons—her "masters" had carried weapons...
Rebecca quickly put away her arrows in the sling at her side, and Kin calmed down just a little bit. "Shh..." Rebecca soothingly murmured. "It's OK... Nobody's going to hurt you..." She sighed. "Though now I know that I won't be able to ride you into battle..."
Kin stared at her in what looked like apology, and Rebecca smiled. "It's fine. I wouldn't have wanted you to get hurt anyway, and ruin that pretty coat of yours..."
Matthew threw up his hands. "How long are you going to stand there and fuss over that silly creature?"
Giving Matthew a glare, Rebecca went back to petting and stroking Kin.
The thief sighed. At least there weren't anymore enemies around that he could see.
"Hector!" The Ostian lordling halted in mid-swing.
"What, Krista??" he yelled. "Can't you see that I'm busy pummeling this sorry excuse for a lord, Erik??"
Krista sighed. "Yes, I can see that. But don't kill him!"
Hector fingered his axe, still keeping an eye on Erik. "Well, why not?"
"Because," the tactician explained. "We need him for questioning!"
It was Hector's turn to sigh. "Fine...but I was so looking forward to—"
"Hector!"
"OK... OK..."
The storm had passed, and now the sun was out shining full-force. Rebecca shook her head. The weather was so weird around here...
"Is everyone alright?" asked Krista.
"I'm fine." Rebecca answered.
"Good, good." Rebecca could picture Krista nodding. "Well, we've defeated all of our enemies, and Hector's got Erik on a tight leash, so... Oh, wait!"
"Hm?" Rebecca questioned.
"You know that Serra practically dragged Erk into our army, right?" Rebecca responded with an affirmative 'yes'. "Well, it seems that he was escorting a troubadour named Priscilla on a mission to find her family or some such thing. And when they got to Laus, Marquess Darin kept them as 'guests' for much longer than he probably should have. I wonder what family she came from to get Marquess Laus so intent on her staying..." Krista sighed. "Oh well... It doesn't really matter that much. I just wanted to let you know that we now have a mage and another healer."
Rebecca smiled and patted Kin. "You hear that, Kin? Our group's getting bigger each day!"
Krista's confusion was evident in her speech. "Huh? Rebecca, who's Kin?"
"Oh!" In all the tumult, Rebecca had forgotten about telling her comrades about Kin. "She's just a horse that I happened to come across... Um..." A sense of uneasiness held Rebecca's stomach in knots. "I will be able to keep her, right? I mean, I don't really know the first thing about taking care of a horse, but I promise I'll learn and—"
The rest of her statement was cut off by Krista laughing. "Don't worry so much! Did you forget we have other horses in this army? I'm sure Kin will be a welcome addition!"
Rebecca let out the air she hadn't known she'd been holding. "Oh... Thanks a lot! Kin won't be any trouble, I promise!"
"I'm sure she won't be..." replied Krista. "Um... Sorry for cutting our conversation short, but I've got to go help interrogate Erik."
Rebecca gave a little gasp. "You aren't going to..." Her sentence trailed off, but it was clear what she was getting at.
Krista shook her head. "Oh no, not at all! I'm just going to make sure that Hector doesn't kill him, even though he's pretty badly wounded already..."
"Oh... Well..." Rebecca searched for the right words to convey what she felt. "I can't say that I wish he would die, but I can't say that I wish he wouldn't either...if you know what I mean..."
"Yes..." sighed Krista. "I do understand... And by the way, you can listen with the communicators as always. I wouldn't want anyone to miss out on important information." Then Rebecca heard the closing click of her communicator.
The son of Marquess Laus trembled on the floor, whimpering about how nobility shouldn't be treated like this.
"Come on, Erik!" shouted Hector. "Get up!"
Erik glared at him, but did as he commanded. "You... You peasants... You can't treat a proper noble like this!"
Hector seemed to tower over Erik as he bellowed, "It's too late for niceties! Be thankful you're still breathing!"
"Hector!" Krista cut in. "Stop that!"
Hector crosses his arms, and continued to glare at Erik.
Eliwood sighed. "Erik, you must tell me. Where is your father?" he asked. "We've searched the entire castle, and there's no one here." He turned to Krista for confirmation.
"That's right," she affirmed. "I've had everybody scour the castle from top to bottom, and he's nowhere to be found..."
This seemed to be too much for Erik to bear. "D-Don't be ridiculous! My father would not abandon..." He slammed his fist against the wall. "No! He'd never..." A realization dawned upon him. "Ephidel..."
Eliwood jumped at the chance to find out who this new person was. "Epidel? Who's that?"
Erik sat in dumbfounded silence, his eyes with a faraway look in them.
Hector, however, didn't want the conversation to end just yet. "Speak, cur!! Do you want to die here?"
"Ah!" Hector's outburst frightened Erik out of his stupor, but now it seemed that the Laus lordling was too scared to say anything.
Krista sighed. "Hector..."
"Fine, fine..."
Eliwood, seeing that Krista had a hold on Hector's temper, turned his attention to Erik. "Erik...please. You must tell us everything you know. I..." He hung his head. "I just want to know where my father is."
"......" Erik didn't know what to say to Eliwood's plead, for nobody had ever talked to him like this before. "...Ephidel... He appeared at the castle one year ago. He came...and my father changed. Ostia's position had always bothered my father... He felt Laus deserved to rule all of Lycia...but..." Erik's eyes again had that faraway look in them, as if he was looking back in time. "But he'd never gone so far as to speak of rebellion."
Krista's eyes widened. "Did you say...rebellion?"
Erik nodded. "Ephidel had something..." He shook his head in remorse at the memory. "With it, he convinced my father to set this plan in motion. My father then sent envoys to several other marquesses. Marquess Pherae," Erik shot a glance at Eliwood. "He had approved of the idea."
Krista gasped. "What?"
Eliwood, in a state of disbelief, exploded. "Never! My father would never agree to such a thing!"
Erik shrugged. "Believe or disbelieve. That is your choice. First was Marquess Santaruz. Then Marquess Pherae's reply arrived." Again, his eyes turned to Eliwood. "Marquess Pherae visited here six months ago to seal his approval."
"That's not...possible..." whispered Eliwood, getting more and more dismayed with every word Erik uttered.
"My father and yours argued vehemently that day." Erik continued. "Marquess Pherae always distrusted Ephidel. He tried to convince my father to send Ephidel and the Black Fang assassins out of Lycia. My father would not be pursuaded, and Marquess Pherae left the castle. As you know, he then disappeared." Erik's mouth twitched into a slight smile, seemingly glad that he could cause so much distress. "I doubt he's still alive."
Hector was tired of being quiet. "Shut your mouth!" he shouted.
But Erik was too far gone to listen to anybody anymore. "Eliwood said he wanted to hear everything. My father... He is but Ephidel's puppet. He'll listen to anything that villain says. Even watch his own son...die... ..." He shook his head, as if trying to rid himself of this horrible truth. "Those are the sort of people you're dealing with. Marquess Pherae betrayed them." A maniacal gleam came into his eyes, and he started laughing. "They would not let him live!"
Eliwood's eyes widened, and he walked quickly out of the room. He would not listen to Erik anymore.
"Wait! Eliwood!" cried Hector, as he ran to catch up with his friend.
Krista took one moment to throw a disgusted look at Erik, and then went to follow Eliwood, too.
Eliwood had started out walking, then striding quickly, and now he was running. He was barely aware of his surroundings changing from tapestries, furniture, and lots of people, to trees, grass, and lots of forest creatues. Finally, when he couldn't run anymore, he leaned against a tree, gasping for breath.
"Eliwood..." The redhead turned around to see Hector and Krista, concern written on their faces.
"My father is alive..." stated Eliwood, as if saying it outloud would somehow make it true. "...I cannot believe he supports...rebellion. There must be... There has to be a reason..." He trailed off, looking hopeless.
Krista placed a hand on Eliwood's shoulder in empathy. "I know. I don't believe any of this for an instant..."
"Yeah!" agreed Hector. "My brother trusted Marquess Pherae more than anyone. First, we'll find your father and discover the truth, and then we'll talk to my brother."
Eliwood smiled weakly. "I'm sorry everyone..."
Hector wouldn't take that as a final answer. "Hey, don't look like that. Your father's alive, right?"
Krista nodded in agreement. "Yes, of course. We'll find Marquess Laus, the Black Fang assassins, and this Ephidel... We'll find them all and prove your father's innocence!"
Eliwood's smile grew ever so slightly. "Hai..." (A.N. – Um... 'Hai' is Japanese for 'Yes'... Don't ask me why I used it... I just felt like it...? ::smiles nervously::)
After many more hours of fruitlessly searching, Rebecca felt that they were never going to find Marquess Laus anywhere around here... A exclamation from her communicator made her concentrate on Hector's and Eliwood's conversation.
"Blast!" cried Hector. "Where on earth has that snake Darin gone?"
Eliwood sighed, sounding frustrated. "I doubt he's left Lycia yet, but... Hector...it's been many days. The death of Marquess Santaruz... Our attack on Laus Castle... Word of these things must have reached Lord Uther by now. And yet..." He looked at Hector, as if in apology for doubting. "He shows no sign of action... Why?"
Hector shrugged. "I'm sure he has his reasons. My brother has other concerns tying his hands right now."
The Pheraen lordling seemed confused. "Like what?" he asked.
"It's Bern," his friend answered. "We've received distrubing reports over the past few months. Kind Desmond is behaving oddly, and if he sees even the slightest crack in Lysia's defenses, we believe he'll invade with all of Bern's might behind him." Eliwood opened his mouth to comment, but Hector wasn't finished yet. "My brother has only recently become marquess, as well as head of the Lycian League. He can't allow another country to see any weakness or discord."
Eliwood looked thoughtful. "He has to present the face of stability and strength, is that it?"
Hector nodded. "You've always been better with words, Eliwood."
Eliwood patted Hector on the back. "Well, you have your own charms, my friend. Now..." Eliwood turned from joking to serious. "Back to what you were saying about Ostia..."
"Oh..." Hector gave a great sigh, as if he could blow away all of his brother's problems. "It seems every country has a spy working in Ostia right now. They all want to assess the new marquess's temperament and skill, and if they sense anything wrong, word will spread like wildfire."
"Um, Hector?" Eliwood asked. "You're the marquess's brother... Would not being at his side be seen as something 'wrong'?"
To Eliwood's surprise, Hector gave a little laugh. "The marquess's brother is a well-known lout. If I WERE at court, they'd sense something wrong."
Eliwood studied his friend's expression. "You're not too proud of that reputation, are you?"
Hector smiled wryly. "Not in the least."
Rebecca's communicator crackled as someone else's voice joined Eliwood's and Hector's. It sounded like Marcus.
"Lord Eliwood! Lord Hector!"
Eliwood swung to face the newcomer. "What is it, Marcus? Have you heard something?"
Marcus bowed. "Yes, my lord. A messenger from the east! Castle Caelin has fallen to a surprise attack from Marquess Laus!"
This got Eliwood's full attention. "Castle Caelin?!"
Hector stroked his axe. "They've struck again." He seemed eager to strike back.
"Lord Hausen," Eliwood began. "Is he unharmed? And...Lyndis...?"
Marcus shook his head. "We've no word on Lord Hausen or his granddaughter, the Lady Lyndis."
Eliwood frowned in concentration and worry. "I never expected them to attack Caelin... Lord Hausen... Lyndis..."
Marcus seemed impatient. "Lord Eliwood, Lord Hector... What should we do?"
For Hector, it was a no-brainer. "There's only one thing we can do!"
Eliwood nodded, glad that Hector wanted to help too. "We ride to their aid! There may still be time!"
Something prickled at the back of Rebecca's mind. Something about the Lady Lyndis...and Caelin... Where had she heard those names before? She shrugged. From the conversation she had just heard, she would find out soon enough.
Gathering her belongings together into a bag, she swung herself onto Kin's saddle. Kin snorted at the sudden adding of weight, but otherwise seemed fine. She waited patiently for Rebecca to take the reins, and then trotted off to find the rest of the group.
Rebecca: O.o You...gave me a horse??
Me: Um...yeah...
Kira: ...?
Me: Well, I gave Rebecca Kin mainly because I was tired of having her complain about walking everywhere, and...well...
Rebecca & Kira: Yes??
Me: I like horses? ::nervous smile::
Rebecca: O.o You have the weirdest logic on the planet...
Kira: I think horses are cute! Like Areon...but, yes, I have to agree with Rebecca on this one.
Rebecca: :P ::high-fives with Kira again::
Me: ::sigh:: I can't believe this...I think I'll go lie down now...
Kira: Aww...Poor, little authoress... Don't worry! Rebecca and I will take care of everything! ::smiles evilly::
Rebecca: ::smiles evilly::
Me: Um...I don't think I'll leave just yet...::looks suspiciously at Rebecca and Kira::
Kira & Rebecca: ::whistle innocently::
Me: Hm...I better end this chapter before they do something...
Kira: Fine...::sniff:: I'll miss you, Rebecca!
Rebecca: ::sniff:: I'll miss you too, Kira! Say hello to Areon for me, OK?
Kira: I'll do that! Just one more thing before I go...::whispers to Rebecca::
Rebecca: ::grins evilly:: I like it!
Me: ...Uh oh...
Kira: On three... One... Two... Three! Get her!
Rebecca & Kira: ::tackle me and laugh::
Me: ::runs:: HELP ME!!!
Random question: Um...Does anybody know the name of Priscilla's horse? Or...does it even have one? Just wondering...
Random fact: WIL IS IN THE NEXT CHAPTER!!!!! :D
Random fact #2: This will probably be the sole story that I'm going to be working on for a while... I haven't had much inspiration for my other ones lately...::sigh::