Disclaimer: I don't own Fire Emblem or any of its characters.

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The group set off on their journey the next day. Kent and Sain rode ahead while Mark and Lyn walked together.

"Mark, wait a moment, can we make a short detour? There's a sacred sword enshrined in an alter to the east," Lyn looked hopefully at the tactician.

Mark considered this for a few seconds. "Sure, why not?" He was lost in thought as they headed towards the shrine. "Hmm, a sacred sword. Could be useful in a fight."

"What!" Lyn's fist connected with the side of Mark's head. "How dare you suggest taking the Mani Katti!"

Mark was knocked backwards by the blow and landed awkwardly on the ground. His broken ribs were jarred sending waves of agony coursing though him. His scream changed Lyn's expression of anger, to one of concern almost instantly.

"Oh, Mark I'm so sorry!" She was beside him instantly, only to find he had passed out. "Kent! Sain!" she called out to the cavaliers.

The two knights rode back, from where they had been scouting out the surrounding terrain. Reigning in his horse Kent saw the tactician on the ground with Lyn kneeling over him. "Milady what happened?" He drew his sword expecting trouble.

Lyn looked up at the red headed knight. "I'll explain later," her eyes were drawn to the sword in Kent's hand. "We're not under attack, but Mark's hurt! He needs to see a healer immediately!"

"Fear not Milady!" Sain cried as he brought his steed to stop nearby. "There are a few houses near a shrine, not far from here." He had evidently been further a field than his companion.

Lyn carefully lifted the prone body of the tactician up to Sain's waiting arms. She then hopped onto Kent's horse behind him and they rode off.

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"I didn't mean to hurt him so much," a voice said meekly.

Mark slowly opened his eyes and tried to sit up. He failed miserably and flopped back onto the bed he found himself in.

"Oh thank Mother Earth, he's awake!" Lyn exclaimed in relief. She was standing next to the bed with Sain and Kent. "How do you feel?"

Mark groaned. His head ached and his chest burned. "This is starting to become a bad habit," he muttered grumpily.

"Bad habit?" Kent asked bemused.

"This is the third time I've woken up in a strange bed with Lyn nearby," Mark responded.

Sain glanced at the young Sacaen with a knowing look. "Oh ye…oww! Kent what did you do that for!" Sain was now hopping around the room clutching his foot.

Kent was wearing a blush that matched Lyn's. "Oh dear. I appear to have trodden on your foot," Kent replied in a droll tone. Deciding to leave Lyn to apologize, Kent grabbed Sain by the back of his armour, and dragged him out of the room.

"Sain has definitely got a one track mind!" Mark guffawed, before breaking into a painful coughing fit. His chest hurt like hell, but he couldn't stop the coughs.

Lyn passed him a glass of water. Which he gratefully sipped at, in between his coughing fits. When his coughing had subsided Mark smiled at Lyn. "I should be fine, just as long as I don't laugh anymore"

"Mark I'm so sorry…" the Sacaen began.

"Shh, it's not your fault," Mark told her. "If I hadn't broken my ribs in the first place. This wouldn't have happened. So it's my fault, okay?" Mark tried to sit up again. The bandages around his chest restricted his movement. "If you still feel sorry, you can help me sit up and all will be forgiven."

"But the physician said you shouldn't move for a few days!" Lyn stated.

"Who cares?" Mark replied nonchalantly.

"I do!" This shocked Lyn just as much as it did Mark. "I mean…I er…I'm the one that hurt you."

"Well if you care, you'll help me sit up." Mark relied flatly. Much to his relief, Lyn gave in and helped him into a sitting position. "Thank you."

"What happened to you Mark?"

Mark had dreaded this moment since he had met Lyn. During their journey so far, nearly all they had spoken of was tactics and the ways of warfare. It had only been a matter of time before they had this conversation. "Well…" he began. "I suggested using some sacred sword then you pun…"

"You know what I mean!"

Mark just sighed. "Would you believe me, if I were to say I fell from the sky?"

"No I would not!" Lyn stood there with her hands on her hips, glaring at Mark.

"Well that's all I'm saying."

Lyn huffed and stormed out of the room.

Mark watched her go with a halfhearted smile. Deciding there was nothing else to do, he dozed off.

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Kent and Sain watched as Lyn stormed out of the house they were occupying.

Sain leaned over and nudged Kent in the ribs. "What do you reckon my boon companion? A lovers tiff perhaps?" He grinned at the scandalized look Kent shot him.

"It is not our place to guess," Kent replied. "We are knights of Caelin, not gossip mongers."

Sain just rolled his eyes. "Yes Mother!" he droned, then winced when Kent's hand connected with the back of his head.

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Mark was awoken by a commotion in the next room. He heard raised voices. Carefully he stood up. His legs were a bit wobbly but he managed to walk to the door and open it. In the next room he saw Kent trying to calm down, whom Mark guessed was the owner of the house.

"Please calm down and tell me again, what happened at the shrine?" the cavalier said calmly.

The owner of the house, a short, brown haired woman in her forties, took a deep breath and started her tale again.

Mark listened as she described the gang of "ruffians" who were trying to steal the sacred sword from its altar. What caught his ear the most was that Lyn had rushed off on her own to prevent this from happening.

The woman finished her story and Kent looked up. He spotted Mark standing in the doorway. "Mark! You shouldn't be up!" he ushered the weakened tactician back into the other room. "Now get some rest."

"But Lyn needs our help!" Mark protested. "I can help." His legs faltered.

Kent caught him with ease. "You can barely stand. Leave this to me and Sain." With that Kent helped Mark onto the bed and left the room, closing the door behind him

Mark heard a key turn in the lock. "Stubborn knight," he muttered to himself.

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"What do we do now?" Kent asked his partner. They sat on their steeds looking at the uneven terrain that blocked their way. "We could go on foot, but we'll never reach Milady Lyndis in time."

Sain flashed him a smile. "I think I have the answer."

Kent looked at him incredulously.

"When I was talking to some of the local girls…"

"You mean flirting."

"Call it what you will," Sain grinned. "One of them mentioned a weak section of wall in the shrine. It's supposedly near here."

Kent sighed. No matter how much of a nuisance Sain was at times, he was still useful. "Alright let's find this weak wall." He turned his horse and cantered off alongside the wall studying it closely.

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Lyn stood outside of the shrine panting. The third bandit had been tougher than she had expected. She paused to apply a vulnery to the gash on her left arm. As always, she sighed at the cool feeling of the salve, as it mended her arm. Pulling her sword from the corpse at her feet, she turned and entered the shrine.

Their at the far end was the alter of the sword. Lyn saw a tall man standing in front of it trying to draw a sword from its scabbard. She recognized the sword instantly. The Mani Katti, the mystic blade of spirits. And that fool was trying to steal it!

Crying in rage Lyn charged through the shrine to put this sacrilege to an end. As she passed the centre of the shrine, she tripped over a foot protruding from behind a pillar. Rolling to the side Lyn narrowly avoided the axe that slammed into the floor.

Lyn was back on her feet within seconds. She parried a blow from the brigand and counter attacked. Lyn's thrust missed its mark as her opponent spun to the side. Lyn then ducked in order to avoid decapitation, as the brigand completed his spin bringing the axe round at neck height. As she rose, Lyn dragged her sword upwards across the chest of her enemy.

Lyn watched dispassionately as the man slowly fell to his knees and keeled over dead. Turning towards the alter she saw her next target.

He was calmly walking towards Lyn, exuding confidence. "I am Glass, the master swordsman. You're not that bad, but you do not stand a chance against my peerless swordsmanship." He drew his sword and charged.

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"Stop!" Kent commanded his partner. "I can hear fighting inside. Damn! We won't break through in time."

"Fear not! The ever so handsome Sain shall save the day once again!" With that Sain started to check that his headband was still in place.

Kent waited for a few seconds. Sain was still preening. "What the hell are you doing Sain!?"

"I have to look my best for when I save the day." Sain looked up to the glare Kent was sending his way. "Alright, here goes nothing." Sain pulled back hard on his horse's reigns, causing the beast to rear up.

The horse tottered forward a few steps, before slamming its front hooves into the already weakened wall. The wall gave way in a shower of stone and mortar. Sain urged his steed forward into the shrine with his lance at the ready. He stopped when he saw no one there but Lyn. "My lady where is the enemy?" he asked her.

She was standing near the wall with an unbelieving expression. She looked at the mound of rubble Sain's horse was standing on. "Er… right under you."

Sain prodded the mound with his lance. "Well I don't think they're getting up again milady." He reported. "By the way, there aren't any fair maidens in here, who might have been impressed by my entrance are there?" Sain asked hopefully.

Lyn just shook her head in disbelief and strode up to the altar.

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Mark smiled triumphantly as the door swung open. He'd failed miserably when he tried to pick the lock. So he just settled for dismantling it. He stepped over the small pile of lock components, and replaced the dagger in its sheath, now strapped to his left arm matching its twin on his right arm.

He reached into a pocket and removed a few gold coins. He left these on the table in the centre of the room he was now in. He was sure it was more than enough to cover the damage. Grimacing slightly as his chest complained, Mark left the house in search of his companions.

To his surprise a blinding flash emanated from the shrine half a mile to his east. When his sight had returned, Mark set of towards the source of the light. "This can't be good. What the hell would make that much light," he muttered to himself

As Mark neared the large building he spied a jagged looking hole in its wall. "Great, they've got explosives. Damn it," he swore under his breath. He walked over to the wall and unsheathed both daggers. As voices from inside approached, Mark hid behind a tree near the breach in the wall.

The voices were talking about a sword with no equal. If they were in possession of the Mani Katti, Lyn must have failed. Mark's grip on his daggers tightened until his knuckles turned white. "At least I can avenge her death," he growled.

The people were in the open now, silhouetted by the sunlight, an easy target. Two led horses while another carried a glowing sword. Mark no longer listened to their words as he took aim to throw his daggers. Just as he was about to strike, the one carrying the sword spoke.

"We'll have to go and pick up Mark," the voice was Lyn's. "I think he's going to be really annoyed about you locking him up, Kent."

"Shit! I nearly killed Lyn," Mark hissed between clenched teeth. He quickly hid his daggers before calling out, "You're damn right I am!" He laughed as his companions turned around in shock.

"How did you get out?" Kent asked, obviously confused.

"Ah, now that would be telling wouldn't it?" Mark grinned as he turned to Lyn. He looked at the glowing sword she held. "Hypocrite!"

Lyn mumbled a barely audible "Sorry," before Sain interjected on her behalf.

"The fair Lady Lyndis did not choose to use the Mani Katti. It chose her as its wielder. It was obviously attracted by her radiant beauty. Oww! Kent, what was that for!?"

Kent had once again slapped the back of Sain's head. "I swear you're incurable. Swords do not have eyes for the ladies."

"Unlike a certain cavalier we know," Lyn remarked dryly. This sparked a small argument between her and Sain, with Kent trying to referee.

Mark just walked off sniggering. He'd tempted fate and won. Now they had the mystical blade on their side. He realised as he continued to walk that the others were still arguing. He turned and picking up a stone, threw it at Sain. He smirked at Sain's outcry, and continued to walk in what he hoped was the right direction.

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Well that was chapter three.

Spingleburt.