Disclaimer: I don't own Fire Emblem, or anything else that I could be sued for.
ASKInfinity: Hey, Page, you spelled "the" wrong in the last chapter...
Pagechan: Oh, COME ON! You seriously think I care about one word? I so don't want you as my editor if I ever write a book.
ASKInfinity: That's so mean! WhyareyousomeantomeIjustwantedtomakesureeverythinginthewritingworldisperfect-
Pagechan: (throws another grammatical error down the hall)
ASKInfinity: Oh my god! (runs after it)
Pagechan: Now that she's gone, we can do review responses! I don't care if the rules don't allow it!
Dark Hurricane: I like Elves too. I think I read your story... let me go check.
Hector: Wait! You have to finish responding! Then you can go do whatever!
Me: Fine! Why are lords such meanies?
Eliwood and Lyn: We're not mean!
Me: True... you guys aren't. Nevermind.
Teh Cruxis Angel Mithos: There really are no TacticianxHectors out there, are there? Hmm... now I kinda wanna write one.
Hector: Hey waita minnut! Don't I get a say in this-
Me: I'll make her hot...
Hector: I'm in!
SpeedDemon315: Yeah.. I hate it when people change the origional script... I did a teenie tiny bit, but not too much. I even went to GameFaqs to look up the script. I'm glad you liked the first chapter, and I hope you like this one too!
BMKuro: Yes, elves are uber coolio. Ph33r 7h3iR c001n3ss!
lovergal1227: I just updated... right now... here's the chapter... DON'T KILL ME!
CHAPTER 2: Birds of a Feather
Namine woke at the break of dawn. Not many people can help it if the sunlight is bright in their face. She grumbled as she slowly stood up. She looked down to realize that she had been sleeping on an upturned root.
"That's gonna leave a mark..." Namine looked around. No one else was awake. "Figures..." Waiting a few hours until she woke the others up, she got her things together and put them under the tree that she had slept against. Looking at the tree with an I-completely-despise-you look, she walked over to Eliwood's tent.
"Lord Eliwood?" She asked before walking in. Luckily for her, he was already awake.
"Ah, Namine. You're up too?" Eliwood asked.
"Yes. We should get the others up as well." Namine left his tent, thankful that she didn't have to wake a lord up.
'St. Elimine... the last time I had to wake Lyn up...' She shuddered at the thought.
Soon everyone was awake and ready to leave.
"Do we have everything?" Namine asked. Everyone nodded. "Then let's go."
After a few hours of quiet traveling, Namine walked over to Eliwood and Marcus.
"Lord Eliwood, I'm not so sure that we should travel straight into Laus, seeing as we are such a small army and the rumors..." Namine said.
"You have a plan, don't you Namine?" Eliwood said with a grin.
"Well, yes, actually. We are somewhat near Marcus Santaruz... if we could meet with him and request for his assistance..."
"I see. It is a good plan, Namine," Marcus said.
"Truly so," Eliwood agreed. "I tell you again, I'm pleased to have you with us." Namine blushed under her hood. "Lord Helman... He's not only my father's friend. I've known him since I was a child. I'm sure that will help us."
"If he is your father's friend, he will want to know where he went." Namine caught on.
"Exactly."
They continued on, but were soon stopped by Marcus.
"What? Lord Eliwood! Beware!" Marcus said. Namine and the others looked ahead to see a man walking towards them.
"Heh heh heh... Noble sires... Alms for a poor villager." The man bowed, smiling with his brown, crooked teeth. Namine could tell that that was not his true intention.
Marcus seemed to be thinking along the same lines, for he said, "Poor villager? You look nothing like an honest man. Clear the road. Step quickly or-"
"Step quickly?" the man interrupted. "Heh heh... Good advice. Maybe it is you who should follow it!"
Marcus stepped back. "What?"
"Someone wants the boy in an early grave. A shame if you ask me, but he'll die here today. C'mon boys!" The now-to-be-know-as-a-bandit motioned towards the mountains to the east of them. "Earn your keep!" Dozens of bandits appeared from behind their hiding places.
"Wh-what's this? An ambush?" Rebecca asked, slightly shaking.
"It appears so. We won't fall to paid bandits, mark my words." Namine said reassuringly. Rebecca stopped shaking, but her face was still a tad bit pale.
After killing around twenty bandits, everyone was near exhaustion.
"How many are there?" Eliwood asked.
"I'm not sure, milord." Namine said. Aparrently, she was shadowing him again. They continued to fight, but Namine could not help but notice some corruption up North. It seemed as if the number of bandits was thinning. "Milord!" she called out to Eliwood, as she ran towards him.(He had left her for a moment to kill a bandit.) He turned around.
Panting, Namine said, "It seems that we have someone who has a reason to help us." She pointed North. Eliwood looked and nodded.
"It seems so."
"Let's concentrate on the bandits to the East, since the ones North are being taken care of." After an hour or two of Namine shouting orders, and bandits one by one falling dead to the ground, they had been victorious.
"Good job, everyone!" Namine caled out to everyone, who soon gathered in. They looked North to see who their helpers were.
"Whew... Is that all of them?" one man said as he walked towards the group.
"Hector!" Eliwood exclaimed, apparently knowing the blue-haired man. "Where did you come from?"
"Well met, Eliwood." 'Hector' smiled.
"Yes, but... what are you doing here?" Eliwood asked again.
"You wound me!"
"How do you mean?" Eliwood asked.
"You're looking for your father, right? Why didn't you send word?" Hector answered with a question.
"Lord Eliwood... do you know this person?" Namine asked, eyeing Hector to see if he was trustworthy.
"Yes, he's a friend." Eliwood said. "Hector, your brother was just named Marquess Ostia. He's going to be very busy setting up his court council. Lord Uther must need your support. You are his brother after all."
"My brother is not so weak. Oh, he has mentioned some things in public, but... He knew exactly what I was planning, and he let me go." Hector said.
"Is that so? Well then, it would be unwise to refuse his kindness!" Eliwood said. "It does me good to see you Hector. Thank you."
"L-lord Uther's brother?" Namine asked, taken aback. She bowed awqwardly. "It is an honor to meet you. I'm Namine, Lord Eliwood's tactician." She bowed again.
Hector looked at her in amusement before responding, "Ah, I see. So this is who directed the battle plan back there, hm? You know, Namine, you're very young. We've many strategists in Ostia, but none quite so young."
"I'll take that as a compliment, milord." Namine bowed again. When she stood up, her hood fell back, revealing her elven ears. Hector stared for a moment before turning to Eliwood.
"Eliwood, are you sure about this one?" he asked as Namine quickly put up her hood, blushing.
"Namine is still a student of military strategy, but... we've recieved nothing but sound advice so far. Namine has my trust." Eliwood looked over at her. She smiled at him in a silent thank you.
"All right. I suppose I shall witness your skills firsthand. Well met, Namine." Hector introduced the people his was traveling with. A knight named Oswin, a thief named Matthew, and a cleric named Serra.
"This journey... I expect it will be harder than you imagine. You may have to accept things like thieves if you are to survive." Hector said. Eliwood gave him a searching look.
"What is it, Hector? Do you know something?" he asked.
"Nothing really. Rumors abound, though. A league of assassins from Bern has been moving around in Lycia. Experienced bounty hunters and mercenaries are vanishing..."
"What do you mean by that?" Namine asked.
"I'm not sure. It's like they never existed... every trace of them gone." Hector said.
"That reminds me. One of the men who attacked us said something odd," Eliwood said.
"What was it?"
"Lord Eliwood, if I may?" Marcus asked. "The apparent leader of that gang of thugs... he indicated that someone was watching Lord Eliwood... That someone needed him dead."
"Hmm... That is troubling. Actually, a captain of the guard was watching the fight when we arrived. He was a knight of Santaruz, and yet he just stood there and let a lord be attacked. I think he was planning on seeing you die." Hector said.
"You think? Did you question him at all?" Namine asked.
"I'll bet he killed him before saying anything to him, knowing Hector," Eliwood said, holding back a laugh.
"Hey! Eliwood, you wound me. I did speak with him." Hector said in defense.
"But, milord, he just said that the business of Santaruz was not of importance to you. He didn't say he wanted Lord Eliwood dead," a girl behind Hector said. Hector's face turned crimson as Eliwood and Namine laughed out loud, not being able to hold it in any longer.
"Who's side are you on, Serra?" Hector asked her.
"Your side, milord." Serra said with a straight face.
"You have a strange way of showing it..." Hector said. Serra just smiled.
"You know... if Hector was right about the Santaruz knight wanting Eliwood dead, we have a problem. Something might have happened to Lord Helman." Namine said.
"You may be right. Come! We must hurry to the castle!" Eliwood agreed and they set off for Santaruz castle.
After an hour or so of walking. Namine heard a high pitched squeal. She turned around to see Serra running up to her.
"EEeeeeeee! Namine, is that really you?" She asked. Namine just nodded, speechless from the sudden outburst of the pink-haired girl. "It's been far, far too long! You missed me, didn't you?"
"Uh, well I-" Namine stammered. She barely remembered Serra, except for her loud, annoying voice.
"Of course you did! I knew it." Serra said smugly.
"Um... Serra, what are you doing with Lord Hector?" Namine asked, finally able to find words.
"Hm? Didn't I tell you before? I'm in the employ of Ostia, Lycia's ruling territory. I'll be here to help you just like before! Aren't you lucky!" Serra said.
"Sure..." Namine said.
"She'll be more annoying than helpful..."
Hearing Serra talking (who couldn't?), another one of Hector's "friends" came over.
"Did you say Namine, Serra?" the man asked. Serra nodded happily. "Hello! How have you been Namine?"
"What's with all these people from Lyndis' group?"
"Matthew! It's good to see you." Namine said. "So... Hector tells me your a spy... so much for an "ordinary" theif..."
"Oh, that. Yes, it's true. My guise as a common theif was but a ruse. I've served house Ostia for some time as a spy of sorts! Suprised?" Matthew said.
"Not really..."
"Well, regardless, it looks like we'll be traveling together again." Matthew put out his hand. "Here's to our mutual survival!" Namine shook his hand.
"Lord Hector has some strange companions..."
Yay! I have finished the second chapter... but I must warn you... I will be slower with updating starting the 29th. Damn school and all it's "learning". Please review! I don't bother asking people to read since they just read this chapter... I guess I could ask you guys to read the next chapter... when I post it... let alone type it...