A/N: I would like to start by making an apology to anyone who read this fanfic when it was first posted. There was a formatting error on my part, which resulted in the dividers between sections of the chapter not showing up. I was able to get on my sister's computer and fix the problem using quickedit. Unfortunately, I do not generally have access to quickedit, as my web browser doesn't support it. As such, I will now be using a slightly uglier looking divider, but at least it should show up. Hopefully this will not detract from your reading experience too much.
Well, 6 reviews isn't bad at all! Thanks to everyone who reviewed, and keep them coming!
Dracobolt: Well, I'm glad you found my descriptions and dialogue good, seeing as how those seem to be the parts with which I have the most difficulty.
Gijinka Renamon: Thanks for your review! By the way, I reviewed your recently posted Fire Emblem fanfic, so have a look if you haven't already.
wow: Thanks for your review! And yeah, in case you haven't realised yet, I am going to do more. Just look below!
Snoopy6458: Yeah, writing good dialogue and putting more descriptions into conversations are two things I need to work on. Hopefully this chapter will be a bit better in that regard, but as I had already actually written it when you posted your review (it just needed to be edited) I can't make any promises. The same problem exists for the yet-to-be-edited Chapter 3, but as that is considerably shorter than this one, I should be able to do more in-depth editing. By the way, I reviewed your fanfic Boon Companions (at least I think it was yours) so have a look if you haven't already. Basically, it's better than my stuff by a long shot.
NobleLadyOfCaelin: Thanks for your review! I'll try and update as often as I can, but as I'm in a very busy year at school, my updates probably won't be as frequent as I would like. Still, if your username is any indication of what you like, then you should like this chapter.
Duderly Bob: Ah, the issue of chapter length. My personal belief is that I make my chapters as long as I feel they need to be: no longer, no shorter (within bounds of reason, of course). I'm aware that my long chapters may deter some readers, but I guess that's just the inevitable price that must be paid.
Chapter 2: The Lycian Council
The first rays of sunlight were pouring in through the window of the second-storey room of the Khathelet Inn. The room was sparsely furnished, with just a bed and a few cupboards. Eliwood was sitting on the bed, polishing his rapier. It had surprised Hector during their sparring match yesterday when Eliwood had pulled the rapier out of its scabbard, only to see that it was still covered with blood from the black-robed men he had slain before. It had taken some time, but Eliwood had managed to get all of the dried blood off, and the rapier was looking as good as new.
Eliwood held the rapier up to the light. The sword shone, and Eliwood could see his reflection in it, although the blade was much too thin to make an effective mirror. Eliwood frowned as he saw that the tip had gotten blunt. He would have to get it sharpened when he got back to Pherae. But that was a job for another day.
As Eliwood sheathed the rapier, he heard a knock at the door. Eliwood looked up in surprise. Who could it be at this hour? Breakfast wouldn't be for another hour at least, by which time most of the inn's lodgers would be awake, and the cleaner didn't come in until after lunch. There was only one way to find out. Eliwood stretched and yawned slightly as he got up off the bed. He knew it wasn't good for him to miss out on a night's sleep. If his mother was around, she'd probably be furious. Closing his mind from such thoughts, Eliwood walked to the door. As he opened it, he saw the innkeeper's wife standing on the other side. She was a middle-aged woman with brown hair and a slightly plump body. She was still in her dressing gown, suggesting that she had just been woken up.
"Sorry to wake you, Lord Eliwood," she said, stifling a yawn.
"You didn't," Eliwood replied, leaning on the doorframe. "I couldn't sleep."
The woman was suddenly wide awake. "I hope it isn't any problem with our room or service," she said with a slight quiver in her voice.
Eliwood smiled, resisting the urge to laugh. "Rest assured, it isn't. I've just had a lot on my mind lately." Even though Eliwood might have been willing to twist the truth a little bit if necessary to calm the woman down, there was no lie in his answer. He had been thinking about all the events that had happened four days ago, from his rescue of Ninian to meeting Lyn. Even now, he was wondering how they were both getting on. He doubted that Ninian was in any more danger just yet, but he was quite worried for Lyn. She was headed into danger, and there was nothing that could be done to avoid it.
"Well, I'm glad that our services meet your expectations," the innkeeper's wife said. "Now what was I here for? Ah yes, there is a young woman downstairs who wants to see you."
"What does she look like?" Eliwood asked, although he had a feeling that he already knew who it was.
"She has long, dark green hair. I would say she's Sacaen. Shall I send her away?"
"No!" Eliwood said hurriedly. There could be no doubt that it was Lyn that the innkeeper's wife had described. But he thought that some explanation was warranted. It wasn't every day that a Lycian noble met with a woman of the plains. "She is a friend of mine. I told her to come here if she needed my help. Send her up."
The innkeeper's wife shrugged. "Whatever you say, my lord." She bowed to Eliwood before leaving. Eliwood shook his head. He couldn't even stay in an inn without treating him like that. Still, he knew that it was the price that must be paid for being nobility. He sighed as he sat down on the bed.
It wasn't long before Eliwood heard footsteps coming towards the door. As the footsteps grew louder, Eliwood stood up. A few moments later, Lyn stepped through the door. She looked a lot worse than when Eliwood had seen her last. There were blood stains across her dress, her hair was a mess and the sacks beneath her eyes suggested that she hadn't been getting any sleep. Her face seemed devoid of life. She was panting heavily, and she stumbled slightly as she walked towards Eliwood.
"Sit down," Eliwood said, pointing to the bed. As Lyn sat down, Eliwood closed the door behind them. He leant back on the door, took a deep breath and asked, "What happened?" Lyn didn't seem able to answer, and her eyes seemed glazed over as she stared at the floor. "Just start from when you got into Caelin. I would imagine that's when the problem arose."
Lyn nodded, but still avoided eye contact with Eliwood. "When we got into Caelin, we were attacked. Lundgren had deployed a ballista, and we were lucky not to get hit by its shots."
"A ballista?" Eliwood gasped, his eyes wide open. "That's no mean feat. Last time I checked, Caelin didn't have any siege equipment, and any territory wanting to get more siege equipment has to get it cleared by the Lycian Council first. Lord Lundgren must be getting desperate."
Lyn sighed. "I don't see why he even has to. He already seems to have Caelin under his complete control."
"What do you mean?"
"While we tried to deal with the ballista, we were attacked by Caelin soldiers."
"What? You mean Lord Lundgren was actually making official attempts on your life?" Eliwood frowned. "There must be more traitors in Caelin than I thought, if the army follows those sorts of orders." Eliwood couldn't believe that a large part of any army would betray their liege lord, but it seemed to be the only plausible explanation.
Lyn closed her eyes and spoke in a whisper. "But that's the problem: they're not traitors, or at least they don't think they are. Kent and Sain said that they had trained with many of them, and knew that they were honourable men; and yet they attacked us without hesitation."
"But why would they do that? Surely they've heard of you from Marquess Caelin. Everyone in Lycia seems to have heard of you."
Lyn was silent for a moment. "Matthew went into a village during the battle, and he found the answer. My grandfather has been ill and abed for nearly three months now. People have been saying that he is being poisoned by Lundgren, but they refuse to speak out because they are afraid and lack proof."
"I had heard similar rumours, but there's no evidence and unfortunately, in Lycia the words of the common people mean nothing. A lord who listens to the will of his people is looked upon as strange." Eliwood knew that his father frequently generated controversy among the Lycian nobility for the benevolent manner in which he treated his subjects.
Lyn didn't comment on that. "In the time since my grandfather fell ill, Lundgren has had control over Caelin. He has used that power to spread a rumour. Lundgren is telling the people that an impostor has appeared, claiming to be the marquess' granddaughter." Eliwood wanted to say something, but Lyn continued. "Which means that the people are looking for two traitorous knights and a baseborn child to come and lay claim to Castle Caelin." Lyn closed her eyes and looked down at the floor. "My own people think I'm a liar."
Eliwood walked over to Lyn and put a hand on her shoulder. He knelt down and lifted her head up so that they were eye to eye. Lyn looked like she was trying hard not to cry. "Lyndis," Eliwood said, "remember that the people of Caelin believe that Lord Lundgren is poisoning Marquess Caelin. They just aren't able to speak out about it. It doesn't matter how much Lord Lundgren tries to convince them of his innocence, their opinion will remain the same. What many nobles don't realize is that you can't change the opinions of the people: you can only silence them. Lyndis, I rode through parts of Caelin shortly after your grandfather announced that you existed, and the happiness of the people could be seen everywhere. Before they knew of you, Caelin was in a state of decline. The Marquess had grown old, and Lord Lundgren isn't much younger. As far as they knew, both were essentially childless. Few believed that Caelin would last another generation. You gave them hope that it could. They believed your story then, when you were in Sacae. They will believe it when you're right by them."
Some of the life had returned to Lyn's face, and Eliwood could once again see the woman he had met four days ago. "Do you really believe that, Eliwood?" she asked.
Eliwood smiled. "I do." His expression suddenly became grimmer. "But even though that is the case Lyn, that doesn't mean anything if your grandfather dies. He is the only one who has the power and the motivation to make it official that you are who you say you are. If he dies, then Lundgren will have the throne of Caelin, and you will be powerless to stop him. Lyndis, you must go back to Caelin. In spite of the danger, you must defeat Lundgren before it is too late. You have to do it for your grandfather, for the people of Caelin and…" Eliwood trailed off. Taking a deep breath, he added, "…for me." Lyn's mouth hung open in shock. Eliwood silently cursed himself. He could see how that might have interpreted very wrongly. "Lyndis, I can tell how much you want to see your grandfather. The last thing I want is to see you fall into despair because of this."
The look of shock was gone from Lyn's face, replaced instead with a look of anxiety. "But Eliwood, there's another problem. Lundgren has sent a call for aid from the neighbouring territories. Any reinforcements they send will surely reach Castle Caelin before us, and they would have even if we hadn't come back here. Lundgren would have seen to that. As foul a man as he is, he seems to have the necessary cunning to ensure that." There was a look of anger in Lyn's eyes that Eliwood had only seen when she had been talking about the bandits that had killed her parents. "It would be a struggle to achieve victory even if it we only had to fight Caelin's armies. If we have to fight others, then victory will be impossible."
Eliwood smiled. "Well Lyndis, it seems like you're finally having a bit of luck." Lyn gave Eliwood a blank stare. "Have you forgotten? I told you when I met you four days ago that there was a meeting of the Lycian Council to discuss the issue of you, your grandfather and Lord Lundgren."
Before Eliwood could say anything else, Lyn said, "But surely that's over now."
Eliwood chuckled. "Lyndis, one other thing you must learn about nobles is that it takes them forever to decide anything. They've probably just agreed that Caelin exists." Lyn laughed at this comment. "Anyway, no one from Caelin was invited owing to the fact that Lord Lundgren would probably be sent in your grandfather's place, and there would be far too much bias there. So Lord Lundgren doesn't even know about the meeting. He's going to send messengers to other territories, but there will be no one there with enough power to declare any major military action. But the Marquesses will return to their territories in a few days. So you must reach Castle Caelin as quickly as you possibly can. Hopefully, any reinforcements that are being sent won't reach there before you do."
"Yes," Lyn said. "I'll leave immediately." She stood up and walked towards the door. Eliwood walked with her.
As Lyn was opening the door, Eliwood stopped her. He had just thought of something. "Wait a minute," he said. "You said that Lord Lundgren had sent messengers to Caelin's neighbours. Would that include Santaruz?" Eliwood sincerely hoped that the answer wasn't what he thought it was.
Lyn shrugged. She had a rather blank expression on her face. "Well, I'm not familiar with the locations of the various territories, but if Santaruz is near Caelin, then I suppose it would. Why does it matter?"
Eliwood closed his eyes and covered his frowning face with one of his hands. It was as he had feared. "The meeting of the Lycian Council is being held in Santaruz. That messenger is going to be able to deliver his message to the marquess of every territory. Without any evidence from you, I fear some of them will side with Lundgren. Although they won't be able to do much, Marquess Santaruz might be pressured enough to send out his army. He is a good man, but he can be pressured into doing things he doesn't want to do."
"I suppose there's not much we can do about that," Lyn said with a sigh.
"Yes, there is," Eliwood replied. He walked towards the bed, picked up his rapier and buckled it to his belt. "I must leave, and leave quickly." He hastily put his armour and cloak on. "With any luck, I may be able to reach the Lycian Council before the messenger, or at least before they have been able to make any decision based on his information."
"But Eliwood, Castle Caelin is supposed to be a ten-day journey from here, and Santaruz is surely further than that. You won't make it in time! Just let me deal with this."
"Lyn, that's if you walk, and if you take breaks. If I ride hard and fast, without taking any breaks, I should be able to make it to Santaruz within two days. And besides Lyn, I want to help. If there's even a chance that what I'm doing will help you, then I'll take it." Eliwood walked towards one of the cupboards. He took out a quill and a piece of parchment, and wrote a short note. "Give this note to the innkeeper," Eliwood said as he handed the parchment to Lyn. "He will allow you to stay in the inn free of charge. The bill will be sent to my father."
"I'm coming with you!" Lyn said boldly. She had that fire in her eyes again, just like when she had told Eliwood about how she planned to get revenge on the bandits that killed her tribe. "I want to speak for myself."
"Lyn, you'd only slow me down. Pherae's horses are faster than those of any other territory. You wouldn't be able to keep up with me, even if you borrowed a horse from someone else." This answer didn't seem to satisfy Lyn. "Lyndis, you will get your chance to prove yourself. For now though, I need to move swiftly. Besides, you could use the rest." Lyn nodded, although she still didn't seem satisfied.
Eliwood walked out of the room, and Lyn followed. They hurried down the steps and out of the building. Eliwood saw the same three horses and Pegasus he had seen four days ago were once again tied up outside. They presumably belonged to Lyn's group. "You can keep them in the stable," Eliwood said, pointing at the animals. Lyn nodded in reply.
The stable was built on to the side of the inn, but there was no door connecting them, so Eliwood and Lyn had to use the outer door. Eliwood opened the door, and he and Lyn stepped inside. The inn wasn't getting many guests recently, so the only horse there was Old Faithful. The horse had its muzzle buried in a manger filled with hay. Eliwood stroked its mane. The horse grunted in reply. "Come on," Eliwood said soothingly, "you're going back to Marcus." Those words seemed to improve the horse's mood, as it lifted its head out of the manger and stood there, ready to be ridden. Lyn had a puzzled look on her face. "Marcus is head of the knights of Pherae," Eliwood explained. "He's at the Lycian Council in my father's stead, and this horse belongs to him." Eliwood put a saddle on the horse and began tying the reins to its head. "Sometimes horses take a bit of convincing before they'll let anyone other than their owner ride them."
"Don't you have your own horse?" Lyn asked.
"I did," Eliwood replied as he got up onto the horse, "but it was killed while I was rescuing Ninian." He didn't like to be reminded of that.
Lyn grasped Eliwood's arm, and looked him straight in the eyes. "I'm sorry. I'm sure that horse meant a lot to you."
Eliwood gently shook his arm free, shrugging his shoulders as he did so. "That's alright. A human life is worth more than that of a horse." Holding the reins, Eliwood turned to face Lyn. "I should be back within five days. If I'm not back by then, then move on to Caelin, and I will meet you on the way."
Lyn nodded. "Good luck, Eliwood."
Eliwood nodded back. He gave Old Faithful a light kick under the saddle. The horse accelerated out as it galloped out of the stable. The ride was as rough as it had been on the way to Khathelet, and Eliwood wasn't looking forward to the long road ahead. He wished that he could have Zephyr back, but he knew that that could never happen. Instead, Eliwood reminded himself that there were more important things at stake here than his own comfort. Right now, the life of Lord Hausen, and the fate of Caelin itself, were both in his hands.
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Nearly two days later, Eliwood finally reached Santaruz. The journey had been long, and Eliwood was now tired and sore. He had nearly fallen out of the saddle once, and since then had been trying to avoid closing his eyes unless it was absolutely necessary. He had started reciting tales of the Scouring in an attempt to stay awake.
Eliwood passed by the homesteads, but didn't bother to stop. He had to reach Castle Santaruz before Lord Lundgren's messenger. It didn't matter that he was tired now, for there would be plenty of time to rest later. Right now, people's lives hung in the balance.
Finally, Eliwood reached Castle Santaruz itself. While its size wasn't on the scale of the larger castles in Ostia, Araphen and Laus, it was still a large and imposing structure. The grey stonework of the outer wall extended high into the air, high enough so that it would be impossible to climb over it with most ladders. The towers extended even higher, and Eliwood just hoped that none of the guards suffered from vertigo. Finally, the large main gate, the only entrance into the castle itself, was made of thick, reinforced metal. Eliwood guessed that it must have weighed well over a ton. Truly, to take this castle would be nearly impossible.
As Eliwood rode up to the main gate, one of the two guards standing outside shouted, "Open the gate!" The gate slowly opened, revealing the courtyard beyond. Eliwood was grateful for being able to enter without delay, but not surprised. He regularly came to Castle Santaruz, and was on very good terms with Lord Helman, the elderly marquess. In fact, Eliwood had heard some people remark that Lord Helman looked upon Eliwood like a father would look upon a son, for the marquess himself was childless. Eliwood sometimes wondered what would happen to Santaruz when Lord Helman died, but now was not the time for such thoughts. He had more important matters to attend to.
Eliwood rode past the gate and into the courtyard. It was a beautiful place, filled with lush plant life and pristine, white paving. A fountain was the courtyard's centerpiece. As Eliwood dismounted, one of the guards came to take Old Faithful to the stables. It was standard procedure, and Eliwood was well acquainted with it. He noticed that the guard looked surprised upon seeing that Eliwood was not riding his usual horse. Clearly Marcus hadn't told the guard about the incident involving Ninian and the black-robed men.
Leaving the guard to his duties, Eliwood walked up the steps towards the keep. The walls of the keep looked more ornate than the outer walls, but Eliwood doubted that they were any less sturdy. The door to the keep, which was smaller than the main gate, was currently open, so Eliwood was able to enter the keep without any interruption.
The inside of the keep looked more like a palace than a fortress. The ceiling of the entrance hall seemed to stretch up to the heavens. On each side of the hall, there was a grand staircase, and they both met at the top. Paintings of long-dead nobles and forgotten times adorned the walls. The largest and most magnificent was a painting of the legendary hero Roland slaying an ice dragon during the Scouring. Roland's sword, Durandal, was on fire. The hero was in a crouch, presumably having just landed after having taken a leaping lunge at the dragon. The dragon was rearing back in pain, its light blue blood gushing out of the massive gash across its chest. Standing in the shadow of a hero as great as Roland made Eliwood feel very small.
With a shake of his head, Eliwood attempted to clear his mind of such thoughts. For now though, Eliwood had to find where the Lycian Council was meeting. He assumed that they would be meeting in the castle's dining hall, for it was one of the few rooms that was both large and grand enough for such a meeting. The entrance to the dining hall was a large double door in between the two flights of stairs in the entrance hall. Eliwood walked towards the door, only to find two other people already there. One was a guard of the castle, whose red armour barely stood out from the brown door to the dining hall that he was guarding. However, Eliwood's main focus was on the other person. The other man wore similar armour and clothing to the Santaruz guard, except that it was green in colour. Green was the colour that the Caelin soldiers wore. That man must have been Lord Lundgren's messenger. Eliwood breathed a sigh of relief. He wasn't too late.
Eliwood walked up to the Santaruz guard. The guard bowed to Eliwood. "Greetings Lord Eliwood," he said. "What can I do for you?"
"I wish to talk to Marquess Santaruz," Eliwood said firmly.
"The Marquess is in a meeting right now," the guard replied, briefly glancing at the Caelin soldier, and added in a whisper, "a meeting that I'm sure you've heard about."
Eliwood had been expecting this, but that didn't make it any less frustrating. "I bring information of great value to said meeting."
The guard shrugged. "Well, I would like to let you through, Lord Eliwood, but the marquess has specifically said that he is not to be disturbed."
Eliwood was getting very frustrated now. He had ridden for nearly two days without any rest to get here, and now all that stood between him and the Lycian Council was a lone guard. Eliwood leaned over and whispered in the guard's ear. "Look, one of my father's knights is hear to represent Pherae, isn't he?" The guard nodded. "Well, I am replacing him in this capacity."
"Are you allowed to do that without a note from your father?" the guard whispered back.
"I am now," Eliwood lied. He wasn't really allowed to replace Marcus without his father's permission. But there clearly wasn't time to get permission, and he was sure that his father would understand.
The guard looked at Eliwood with a hint of suspicion, but then smiled. "Very well, Lord Eliwood, you may pass." Eliwood could tell that the guard hadn't believed his story for a minute, and had probably just been waiting for Eliwood to come up with a decent excuse to pass. Eliwood walked past the guard and pushed the large doors open. They hit the walls with a loud thud. Every head at the long table turned to face Eliwood. As the Santaruz guard closed the door, Eliwood took a brief moment to look around the dining room, for he hadn't been in here often before. The dining room was long and narrow. The ceiling wasn't as high as that of the entrance hall, but the magnificent chandeliers that hung down made it look even more magestic. But the long table, where the marquess and his closest friends (although those were considerably fewer nowadays) ate their meals, was where Eliwood's eyes finally focused. Now, the table was the seating place for the Lycian Council. The eyes of the marquesses of the various territories of Lycia, most of whom were elderly men, were now upon him. Eliwood noticed that two seats were empty, presumably the places where Marquess Caelin and Araphen, neither of whom were here, would normally sit. Marcus was sitting in the seat that was normally reserved for Eliwood's father, and the knight seemed more surprised than anyone else to see Eliwood here.
"My lords," Eliwood said, before turning to where Marcus sat, "Marcus." Marcus stood up and bowed, but the others remained in their seats and didn't speak. Marcus quietly sat down.
Finally, Lord Uther, who owing to his position as head of the Lycian Council was sitting at the head of the table, stood up. Lord Uther looked much like Hector, except his hair was a bit darker, he had a small goatee and his face was scarred. Eliwood didn't know for sure, but he imagined that Lord Uther had gotten those scars in battle. He was garbed in similar clothing to what Hector wore, but more formal in nature. "Well met, Eliwood," Uther said in a youthful (for he was in fact the youngest of those present, with the exception of Eliwood) but raspy voice. "What brings you here?" He pointed at Marcus. "We already have a representative from Pherae, and with all due respect I imagine that he would be more well-informed of these matters than you."
"I am more well-informed of these matters than any of you," Eliwood replied calmly. Some of the lords at the table started whispering amongst themselves, while others just stared at Eliwood in disbelief. Sensing Lord Uther's next question, Eliwood said, "I have met the Lady Lyndis."
There was a loud cough from near the head of the table. The cough had come from Lord Darin, Marquess of Laus, one of the most powerful territories in Lycia. He was a well-built, middle aged man who wore heavy gold armour. His hair was purple, and his face was just starting to show the first signs of aging. Still, compared to most of the other marquesses, he was quite young. Eliwood was quite good friends with Lord Darin's son Erik, with whom he had studied with in Ostia, but he had never gotten along too well with the Marquess of Laus himself. "You mean the woman who claims to be the Lady Lyndis," Lord Darin said.
"I believe that she is telling the truth. She has the appearance of her mother and the eyes of her grandfather, Marquess Caelin. And the proud people of Sacae tell no lies." Eliwood gestured toward the empty seat opposite Lord Darin. "If Marquess Araphen was here, then he would agree with me, for he has also met the Lady Lyndis."
Lord Darin glared at Eliwood, but before either could say anything, Lord Uther said, "Actually Eliwood, we have received a letter from Marquess Araphen," pulling out a piece of parchment from his pocket. "He sends his apologies, but claims that he was needed in Araphen to deal with the aftermath of an attack. I'm sure you heard about it from the Lady Lyndis, as she was apparently there at the time." Lord Darin was positively fuming now.
"Indeed I have," Eliwood replied, paying no notice to Lord Darin. "Those who were present all believe that the attackers were after the Lady Lyndis. They believe the group was sent by Lord Lundgren to kill her."
"This is absurd!" Lord Darin shouted as he rose from his chair. "Lord Lundgren is an honourable man! He would never do such a thing!"
Lord Uther raised his hand. "Lord Darin, if you don't mind, we are not discussing Lord Lundgren now," he said. "We are simply trying to figure out if the Lady Lyndis is who she claims to be." Lord Darin sat down slowly, not taking his eyes off Eliwood. Lord Uther ignored the Marquess of Laus. "Anyway, in his letter, Marquess Araphen also spoke of the Lady Lyndis herself. He said that she did indeed bare an uncanny resemblance to Lady Madelyn, and that he believes that she is truly Marquess Caelin's granddaughter. However, he also said that we shouldn't give her any aid."
"Well, Lord Uther," Eliwood said, "Marquess Araphen's hatred of the people of Sacae is well-known, as are his reasons." The people at the table silently nodded their heads in agreement. They had all heard the story of how Marquess Araphen had been in love with Lady Madelyn, and of how he had grown to hate the people of Sacae since the day she and Lyn's father had eloped together.
Lord Uther was reading the piece of parchment as he nodded. "Indeed, Eliwood, I could not agree with you more. What matters is that Marquess Araphen truly believes that the Lady Lyndis is who she claims to be. And we now have you to back up her story as well."
Eliwood stepped closer to the table. "There are also the two Caelin knights that were sent by Lord Hausen to find the Lady Lyndis, and who were with her when I met her."
"Those men have betrayed their knightly vows!" Lord Darin said, slamming his fist down on the table, causing it to shake. Some of the marquesses looked like they were about to have a heart attack.
Part of Eliwood felt fear now. Lord Darin was a strong man and an excellent fighter. Eliwood didn't want to anger him to the point where a brawl might break up. Apart from the diplomatic implications of such action, there was the simple fact that someone was bound to get. Eliwood took a deep breath, and the fear was gone. "With all due respect, Lord Darin, I doubt that is the case. I know Marquess Caelin quite well, and I know that he would not send someone on a matter of this importance unless he had the utmost trust in them. Anyone whom Marquess Caelin trusted that much would not betray him."
Lord Darin grinned and leant back in his chair. "Ah, but Marquess Caelin trusts Lord Lundgren, and yet you are claiming that he would try to kill Lord Hausen's own granddaughter! You can't have it both ways."
"Lord Darin," Eliwood replied calmly, "sometimes love can blind a person from the truth. I doubt that Marquess Caelin has truly trusted Lord Lundgren for a long time. He has simply been unable to accept that Lord Lundgren has betrayed that trust. For all we know, he might have realized Lord Lundgren's betrayal by now, and he is simply unable to speak out about it."
Darin pointed an accusing finger at Eliwood. "You have no evidence to back up that claim!"
"And you have no evidence to back up yours, Lord Darin," Lord Uther said. "All we have are opinions. But what matters is that the only two people who have contacted us who have seen the Lady Lyndis with their own eyes both believe that she is telling the truth."
"Has it ever occurred to you, Marquess Ostia," Lord Darin said, "that those people might be lying?"
Marcus had risen from his chair in an instant: his presence seemed to fill the room. His normally calm demeanour was replaced with a look of pure hatred, and the fire in his eyes was directed directly towards Lord Darin. His hands were pressed down firmly on the tablecloth, which was being creased as Marcus slowly scrunched his hands into fists.
"Marcus!" Eliwood commanded. "Sit down." Marcus hesitated for a moment, before slowly sitting down. His glaring eyes were still laid upon Lord Darin. "Lord Darin," Eliwood said in a much calmer tone, "for all we know, you may be right. Marquess Araphen and I could both be lying. But then again, any one of us in this room could be lying at any time. For all we know, someone in this room could be planning to seize control of all of Lycia. But such thinking will get us nowhere. If we always thought like that, then we wouldn't be able to recognize when people are trying to help us. We would spend so much time looking for the poisoned chalice, that we would overlook the one containing the very elixir that could save our life."
"Eliwood is right," Lord Uther said. "Together, we are a prosperous, relatively safe nation. Divided, we are nothing more than a group of bickering minor territories. And it is impossible for us to stay united if we do not have some degree of trust between us. Regardless, what we think regarding the degree of truth in Lady Lyndis' story does not matter. The only one with the authority to legitimise Lady Lyndis' claim to the throne of Caelin is Marquess Caelin, and Lord Hausen is dying. Regardless of what you believe to be the cause of his illness, there can be no doubt that he will not survive long."
"Then I bid you take action." The eyes of those at the table were all upon Eliwood now. The Lycian Council was rarely a place where action was decided, least of all by someone who was not a marquess. "Lord Lundgren has sent out messengers to Caelin's neighbours, asking for aid to find and kill the Lady Lyndis." Eliwood pointed at the door he had come in by. "One of those messengers is right outside the door."
There were whispers among the people at the table, and Eliwood couldn't even make out vague snippets of conversation. It was Lord Darin who finally spoke up above the rest. "Then let's let the messenger in, and we will hear Lord Lundgren's request ourselves!"
"Lord Darin we cannot do that!" Lord Uther said with a firmness Eliwood had never seen in him before. "This meeting was kept a secret from Caelin for the specific reason that we can no longer assume that the will of any representative Caelin represents is anywhere near the will of Marquess Caelin himself. Lord Helman will no doubt meet with the messenger in private later on, but not until we have decided who we will side with in this conflict."
"Well we cannot side with the girl!" Lord Darin exclaimed. There was a brief pause as everyone at the table looked at the marquess. In a calmer, quieter tone, he added, "I mean, imagine how the people would react. It would cause chaos."
Eliwood had had enough. He put his hands down on the table and leant over. "How can we expect the people to stand by us when we will not stand by one of our own?" he said, his eyes sweeping over those present at the table. The eyes of the lords were once again upon him. Eliwood couldn't believe that he had just questioned the Lycian Council in such a manner. He started sweating as he waited for a response.
It was Lord Darin who broke the silence. "The girl isn't one of us," he sneered. "She may be descended from one of us, but the blood of the Sacae has tainted whatever nobility she may have had claim to."
Eliwood could feel his legs shaking, but he knew he had to remain calm, for Lyn's sake. He closed his eyes for a moment, and took a few deep breaths. As he opened his eyes again, he said calmly, "And are all of you gentlemen pure-blood Lycians? I think we all know better than to believe that. One of Lord Uther's ancestors was from the Western Isles. Some of you have married women from Bern. And if I'm not much mistaken, Lord Darin, the woman with who bore you a son was an Etrurian. Are you saying that Lord Erik will not inherit the throne of Laus when you die?"
Lord Darin rose from his chair, seething. Eliwood could instantly tell that he'd hit a nerve. Marquess Laus did not like to discuss his late wife. "That's different! She was a noble, not some filthy Sacaen nomad!"
"That Sacaen nomad was the chieftain of the Lorca Clan, as pure a descendant of one of the Eight Generals as your late wife. Are you honestly saying, Lord Darin, that Hannon was any less of a hero than Roland or St Elimine?" Lord Darin stood there for a moment. It was obvious that he wanted to say something, for his lips moved, but no sound came out. Instead, he sat down, his eyes still upon Eliwood.
Lord Uther spoke. "I agree with you Eliwood, in part. There can be no doubt that Lady Lyndis' claim to the throne of Caelin is as legitimate as our claims to our own thrones. However, I'm afraid that we cannot side with her."
"What?" Eliwood said, unable to believe what he was hearing. "But you just said that she had a legitimate claim to the throne! Are you honestly suggesting that we should cast aside our principles?"
"Eliwood, your heart is in the right place, but you fail to see the bigger picture. We can't afford to get into unnecessary conflicts within our own borders. Surely you have heard of the odd behaviour that King Desmond of Bern has been showing lately. If he sees any weakness in Lycia's defenses, then he will attack with the entire might of his army behind him. That would be disastrous."
"So are we just going to abandon Lyn to certain death? I expected better from you, Lord Uther." Eliwood instantly knew that he had made a mistake. By calling Lyn by the shorter version of her name, Eliwood had made it obvious that they were friends. The Lycian Council was unlikely to listen to the words of someone with such an obvious bias.
Lord Uther sighed and closed his eyes. When he opened them again, the relative youthfulness in his face had vanished. "Eliwood, I was once like you," Lord Uther said grimly. "It was only a year ago that my parents died, and I have only been Marquess Ostia for a few months. But in that time, I have seen and learnt a lot. The most important thing I've learnt is that the safety of the people is paramount. It even comes before my own principles. Do yourself a favour, Eliwood, and keep your father alive for as long as possible. No one should have to take up the duties of a marquess at a young age. Politics will make bitter old men of us all."
Eliwood knew that the matter was settled. It would be impossible to convince the Lycian Council now. Any mention of Bern among Lycian nobles was a guarantee that they would take the safest possible course. Bern was the biggest military power on the continent of Elibe, and because it was right next to Lycia, the Lycian nobles had learned to be ever-watchful. The results had been seen here today. Eliwood had failed Lyn. There was no sense in staying any longer.
Before Eliwood could excuse himself, Lord Darin spoke up. "Well, if we wish for this conflict to be resolved without attracting Bern's attention, then I have a plan." Eliwood was filled with a feeling of dread. Another thing that had been shown here today was that Lord Darin's opinions were vastly different from his own. Any plan that Lord Darin came up with would only make the situation worse for Lyn. "We could send a small detachment of soldiers to defend Castle Caelin. That would be enough to make any attempt on the girl's part to take the castle hopeless. She would most likely just give up and leave, without the need for any bloodshed. Such a small force would be unlikely to attract Bern's attention, and we could always just say that they had been sent to deal with bandit raids, just in case Bern did find out." There was a general murmur of approval amongst the people at the table.
Eliwood knew he had to think of something fast. If Lord Darin was allowed to go through with his plan, then Lyn wouldn't stand a chance, and Eliwood knew that most of the people at the table seemed to like the plan. He racked his brain in an attempt to think of a way out, but nothing seemed to come to him. Strangely he could only think of only one thing. He decided to mention that and play the rest by ear. "Speaking of bandits," Eliwood said, "I am reminded of a group of bandits I encountered near Khathelet." That certainly attracted the attention of those at the table, particularly Marcus and Marquess Khathelet.
"What?" Marquess Khathelet replied. "Bandits in my lands?" Like most of the other marquesses, Marquess Khathelet was quite old, but his hair was only a light grey, as opposed to the white that most of the other people at the table had. However, his wrinkled face betrayed the fact that he was just as old as the others.
"Yes, my lord, bandits," Eliwood said. He knew that he had to drag this on until he could think of a plan. "Marcus can back me up on this story, as he was with me at the time. I was on my way to Khathelet for my bimonthly spar with Hector." At these words, the people at the table, with the exception of Lord Uther and Marcus, shook their heads silently. Hector was not popular amongst the other Lycian nobles, both because of his seemingly rude manner his general disregard for certain rules and authority figures. "Anyway, on the way, Marcus and I encountered a group of bandits. They had a young girl who appeared to have been taken against her will, and I wished for them to let her go. Unfortunately, we had to resort to combat in order to rescue her, but we were successful."
"What did these bandits look like?" Marquess Khathelet asked, looking intently at Eliwood.
"They were garbed entirely in black, with the exception of their leader, who wore standard mercenary clothing and armour. The leader had blond hair and a beard, but it was impossible to tell what the others looked like under their hoods." Eliwood noticed that several of the lords, including Lord Uther and Lord Darin, had grown increasingly restless during that description.
Unlike those lords, Marquess Khathelet simply seemed curious and faintly surprised. "That sounds like a very well-organised group."
"Indeed, they were," Eliwood said. It was at that moment that he got an idea. "In fact, it's possible that they were Bern forces traveling incognito. I mean, it was quite near the border." Eliwood could tell by the shocked look on the faces of the marquesses and the whispering around the table that he had struck gold. Marcus simply smiled at Eliwood. Eliwood could tell that Marcus had seen right through his semi-lie, but the knight seemed willing to play along.
Lord Uther spoke above the whispering. "Well, Eliwood, it is an interesting possibility that you raise. However, it does have one flaw. What interest would Bern forces have in this girl?"
"I cannot say that I know for sure, Lord Uther, but I think it would be a fairly safe guess that she had some sort of information that was important to Bern. In fact, I later found out that the group had taken the girl from a small village in Khathelet, and it was there that I met the Lady Lyndis. Perhaps the girl had heard something important about the Caelin issue, and she was kidnapped in an attempt to obtain the information." Eliwood noticed that both Lord Uther and Lord Darin were watching him more intently than ever now.
"Where did you leave the girl?" Lord Uther asked.
"I left her in Khathelet with her younger brother, who was with the Lady Lyndis. What happened to her after that, I do not know."
"How can you be sure that this boy was the girl's younger brother? I mean, for all we know, he could have been a Bern spy. Not that I'm doubting you, Eliwood, but we simply need to explore all possibilities."
"The resemblance between the two was uncanny, and they both looked unusual enough to make any chance of Bern having someone who looked like them in their service virtually Nils - I mean nil." Upon seeing the quizzical look he was getting from the people at the table, Eliwood said, "The boy's name was Nils, and the girl was called Ninian."
Lord Darin nearly leapt out of his chair, but he managed to keep himself down. As if to explain that reaction, he said, "So you just left two people who could have had vital information behind? I mean, this mysterious group could easily kidnap them again, assuming that there is any truth in your story."
Eliwood just managed to avoid flinching. It was true, he hadn't considered the possibility of Ninian being kidnapped again. For all he knew, she and Nils could be in the clutches of those black-robed men right now. He would never forgive himself if that was the case. But he knew that it did no use to worry about such things. He would have to look into it later. For now, he was here for Lyn's sake, and he had to follow this conversation through to a satisfactory conclusion. "My apologies, Lord Darin," Eliwood said calmly, "but the idea of these black-robed men being from Bern had not occurred to me at the time. From now on, whenever I am rescuing somebody, I shall be sure to think of any possible conspiracies they may be involved in." For a brief moment, Eliwood almost thought he saw Marcus laugh, but the knight returned to his normal stern expression almost instantly.
Lord Darin seemed unfazed, as if he had a plan of some sort. "But you didn't even think to question the girl, did you? You probably don't even know why she was with those black-robed men. You just instantly jumped to the conclusion that she was a damsel in distress, and that those black-robed men were the villains. For all you know, the girl could have committed a crime, and those men could have been bringing her to justice."
Much to Eliwood's surprise, it was Marcus who spoke up next. He had been silent ever since Eliwood had come in, but now he seemed ready to speak. "You know, Lord Darin," he said, a faint smile on his face, "That's remarkably similar to what the leader of the black-robed group said. What a fascinating coincidence." Lord Darin was clearly fazed by these words. While Eliwood doubted that Marquess Laus had anything to do with those black-robed men, Marcus' cunning was undeniable. "I can see what you're trying to do here. You're trying to disprove Lord Eliwood's theory that those black-robed men were Bern forces. Why, I do not know. But there can be no doubt that those men were incredibly well-organised: so well-organised, in fact, that they must certainly have some degree of connection to a government of a country. Now, because they were so close to the border, it is logical to assume that the government with which they had ties was either Bern's or Lycia's. Now, since you seem to be of the opinion that it cannot be Bern's, then I suppose you will not mind if we arrange an in-depth investigation into the activities of all of the marquesses? Just to make sure that no one here is doing anything sinister behind our backs."
"No!" Lord Darin shouted instantly. In a calmer voice, he added, "I mean, I don't think that will prove necessary. I agree with lord Eliwood, I believe those black-robed men were from Bern. I was simply… testing him. And he passed."
"Well, Lord Darin," Eliwood said, "you can see why we can't send any troops to Caelin. The black-robed men probably have their headquarters quite close to Caelin, given that they were riding in that general direction. We would certainly attract their attention if we sent even a small amount of soldiers. And that, as Lord Uther said before, would be disastrous."
Lord Darin glared at Eliwood. "Just because I agree that those black-robed men came from Bern doesn't mean I think that they'll notice if we send some troops."
"Lord Darin, these men are professionals. They probably noticed those messengers Lord Lundgren sent out."
"You're just looking for an excuse for us to not send troops because that Sacaen girl's a friend of yours! Why must you keep arguing? We're not going to give her any aid. That much has already been decided. If we send reinforcements to Lord Lundgren, then the girl will most likely give up and go back to Sacae. But if you don't let us do this, then she will go off and get killed."
"And doesn't the fact that I'm willing to put a friend in that kind of danger tell you anything, Lord Darin? I want peace, and if we send forces to Caelin, then what we'll get is war. This is the way it has to be."
Once again, there was silence. Once again, it was Lord Uther who broke it. "Eliwood, you said that girl was in Khathelet, correct?"
Eliwood nodded, although he wasn't sure where Lord Uther was going with this. "She was when I left, and she should still be there."
"Then she will reach Caelin soon, especially when one considers that Marquess Caelin probably doesn't have long to live, if the rumours about his condition have any truth in them. Therefore, it is unlikely that all of the territories will be able to send any reinforcements in time to have any impact. The only territories that can affect this conflict now are Santaruz, Tania, Khathelet, Araphen, Tuscana and Laus. Marquess Araphen has already expressed a wish to remain neutral. The other territories now must decide. Who here will remain neutral in this conflict?"
Most of the people in question raised their hands almost instantly. Marquess Laus was the only one who kept his hand down. The eyes of everyone on the table were now upon him. Time seemed to slow to a crawl. Lord Darin tapped his fingers on the table.
"Lord Darin?" Lord Uther asked. "What is your vote?" Lord Darin slowly raised his hand. Everyone else breathed a sigh of relief. "By the way, Eliwood," Lord Uther said with a smile on his face, "who won the sparring match between you and Hector?"
Eliwood smiled back. "It was a draw."
"That's good. He's always in a bad mood if he's just lost one of those matches."
Eliwood laughed, though the other people at the table once again shook their heads. There was silence again. Eliwood knew that he should leave soon. Although he had just improved Lyn's chances of reaching Castle Caelin alive, Marquess Caelin's time was short, and all Eliwood's efforts would be for naught if Marquess Caelin died before Lyn could reach him. "Now, if you excuse me, I must be going."
"Will you inform the Lady Lyndis of the results of this meeting, even though they're supposed to be highly confidential?"
"I will, and no one is going to stop me."
"I had no intention of doing so. Know that Lord Lundgren will be informed of our neutrality as well. So don't think that Lady Lyndis will have any advantage." Eliwood nodded and turned to leave. As he reached the door, Lord Uther said, "Eliwood, once you deliver your message to her, you cannot help her any further. We must all remain neutral in this conflict."
With a look of pure determination, Eliwood turned back to face Lord Uther. "So be it."
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The night sky was filled with stars as Eliwood rode towards Khathelet. All that could be heard was the gentle chirping of crickets and the thud as the hooves of Marcus' warhorse made contact with the ground. The faint outline of the mountains on the horizon was the only landmark that could be seen amidst the darkness.
Eliwood didn't like riding at night: it was both lonely and dangerous. But he knew that right now, he had to. Tomorrow would be the fifth day since he'd left Khathelet, and Lyn would be leaving soon, assuming she followed his instructions. If he stopped, he would surely be late. As fatigue set in, Eliwood was almost grateful for having such an uncomfortable ride, for it would probably keep him awake.
Soon, Eliwood had started reflecting on what had happened at the Lycian Council. It had not been a complete failure for him. After all, if he hadn't been there, then they might have decided to send reinforcements to aid Lundgren. As it stood, while Lyn didn't have any new allies, at least she didn't have any new enemies.
Unfortunately though, the relief had brought with it some new worries. First, he had become worried about Ninian. What if she had been kidnapped by those black-robed men again? He knew that it was a bad idea to just leave her when she was in danger. But why was he so concerned for her? He didn't even know her. He had never known himself to show such a great deal of concern for strangers before. He did care about the general wellbeing of people, but not to as great an extent as this. What was it about Ninian that made him feel like this? Eliwood shook his head, reminding himself that it was no use to think about such complex issues when he was so tired.
But what about the black-robed men themselves? Who were they, and why had they displayed such an interest in Ninian? Eliwood sincerely doubted that what he had said at the Lycian Council could really be the truth, or at least not the whole story. They couldn't just have been Bern forces. There had to be more to it than that. For one thing, why had Lord Darin been acting so suspiciously whenever anyone was mentioning that group? Did he know of them, or perhaps even have some sort of connection with them? Eliwood shook his head again. Lord Darin may have had his flaws, but he was still loyal to Lycia.
It was only as Eliwood finished that thought that he realized how heavy his eyelids had gotten. It was becoming a struggle to stay awake. Even now, his vision was getting blurry. But he had to fight the urge to sleep. If he fell asleep now, he'd probably fall off the horse. But he couldn't fight it much longer. He just needed to rest his eyes for a moment. Eliwood's eyelids slowly slid shut…
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Eliwood was awoken by a loud crowing sound. As his eyes snapped open, he saw that the sound had come from a rooster on a rooftop. It was morning, and Eliwood had made it to Khathelet. He had no idea how he'd managed to avoid falling off Old Faithful. Eliwood gently stroked the horse's mane, but it merely snorted in reply. Clearly, riding through the night had made it even grumpier than usual. Eliwood could sympathise with that, for he still felt quite tired and felt sore all over.
Ignoring the fatigue, Eliwood rode towards the inn. It was still early, so most people were just waking up. Thus, the village appeared fairly deserted. As Eliwood reached the inn, he decided to leave Old Faithful in the stables for the time being, to make sure no one tried to steal him. As he walked in, he found that the three horses and the Pegasus he had seen before were still in there. That must have meant that Lyn's group was still here.
Once Marcus' horse had been tied up, Eliwood walked towards the main building of the inn. Finding the door locked, he knocked on it loudly.
A while later, the innkeeper answered the door. He was a middle-aged, brown-haired man with a moustache. Judging by his attire, he had just woken up. Upon recognizing Eliwood, he bowed. "Greetings Lord Eliwood," he said, "What can I do for you?"
"I need to speak with a woman named Lyn," Eliwood replied. "She should be staying in a room that my father is being charged for."
The innkeeper closed his eyes for a moment, apparently attempting to jog his memory. "Ah, yes!" he exclaimed as he opened his eyes. "I know the woman you're talking about. Come in, and I'll take you to her room." Eliwood stepped in, and the innkeeper closed the door behind them. The interior of the room was still quite dark, as the shutters had not yet been opened. The innkeeper led Eliwood up the stairs. They walked down a small corridor. Finally, they came to the room where Eliwood had been staying a few days ago.
"This is the room where she's staying," the innkeeper said. "Do you want to knock, or should I?"
"I'll knock," Eliwood replied. "You can go back to your business." The innkeeper bowed to Eliwood, and then walked away. Sighing, Eliwood knocked on the door.
For a while, there was silence. Then Eliwood heard a yawn from the other side of the door, followed by indecipherable whispering. After the whispering died down, a clear, masculine voice said, "Who is it?"
Eliwood was taken aback by that question, but he supposed that Lyn and whoever was with her had every reason to be on their guard. "It's Eliwood. I need to talk to Lyndis."
"Come in," said a voice Eliwood instantly recognised as Lyn's.
Eliwood opened the door and stepped into the room. It was mostly as he remembered it, except there were now three people in it instead of one. Sitting in a chair near the door was Kent, who had his hand on the hilt of his sword as Eliwood came in. Upon recognizing Eliwood, Kent let the hand drop to his side. Eliwood guessed that it was Kent's voice that he had heard. Lying under some blankets on the floor was Florina, who appeared to be asleep. Lyn was getting out of the bed as Eliwood came in, and she stood up as he closed the door behind him. She was in the same dress that she had been in on their previous two meetings, but she had taken off the boots and gloves, and her long green hair wasn't tied up in a ponytail at present. Eliwood almost had trouble recognizing her. "Well met, Lyndis," Eliwood said.
"Good morning, Eliwood," Lyn replied, stifling a yawn. "I'm sorry about the extra company, but there weren't enough rooms for all of us to have a room to ourselves. Would you rather talk in private?"
"No, I'm fine talking here, assuming you don't think we'll wake Florina."
Lyn laughed. "No, we won't wake her. She may not look like it, but she can sleep through almost anything. Besides, we'll probably be wanting to leave as soon as you've said what you have to say." Her face took on a more anxious expression. "So, how did it go?"
"Well, I was able to talk to the Lycian Council before Lord Lundgren's messenger. They agree that you are indeed Marquess Caelin's granddaughter."
Lyn's mood seemed to lighten at this news. "And how did they respond to Lundgren's request for reinforcements?"
"Well, I didn't actually see them listen to the messenger, but the council swore that they wouldn't lend Lord Lundgren their aid." Eliwood took a deep breath as he prepared to tell Lyn the bad news. "Unfortunately, they will not lend you any aid either. They have sworn complete neutrality in this conflict."
Lyn seemed saddened by this news, although she was clearly trying to avoid letting it show. "I suppose that's as good as we can hope for."
Eliwood frowned. He hadn't finished telling the bad news yet. "Unfortunately, because Lycia has sworn complete neutrality, that means I cannot aid you any further. If I aided you, then it would be seen as Pherae itself giving aid, and then all of the territories would start aiding one side or the other. The results would be disastrous. I'm sorry."
Lyn smiled. "That's fine, Eliwood. You've done more than enough for me already. I won't waste this opportunity you've given me."
Eliwood tried hard to stifle a yawn, but failed. "Well, I'd love to stay, but I'm afraid I must be getting back to Pherae."
Lyn walked towards Eliwood with an exasperated look on her face. "But you've only just arrived! Shouldn't you rest a little bit first?"
"Lyn, I've already been gone from Pherae for longer than I was supposed to me. My mother's probably worrying herself sick about me. I'll be fine." Part of Eliwood doubted that. He had never ridden for as long as hard as he had over the past few days. He was exhausted, and what little sleep he had gotten had done little to change that. Still, he believed that he could pull through.
The smile on Lyn's face had vanished. Eliwood knew why. He had mentioned his mother being worried about him, and Lyn had no parents left to worry about her. Eliwood silently cursed himself for allowing such a foolish slip of the tongue. Lyn closed her eyes for a moment, and when she opened them again, she said, "Well, goodbye."
Eliwood put a hand on Lyn's shoulder. "Farewell, Lyndis. Know that even though I cannot aid you directly, as a friend, I pray for your success."
Lyn smiled again. "Thank you."
Eliwood turned and went to open the door. However, as he grasped the doorknob, he was reminded of a question that had been plaguing him, a question that Lyn might know the answer to. "Lyn," he said, turning back to face her, "this may seem like a strange question, but do you happen to know how Ninian is getting along? Oh, and Nils too, of course."
"Well, I certainly should know how they're getting along. After all, they're traveling with us!"
"They're traveling with you?" Eliwood asked, trying to hold back his surprise. "May I ask why?"
"Well, to be honest I was afraid that they might get kidnapped again. I thought they would be safer with us, at least in the short term. But their special powers have actually been of great use to us."
"Special powers? What special powers?" It appeared that Eliwood had been right when he had guessed that there was something different about Ninian.
"Didn't I tell you about their powers before?" Lyn asked, seemingly more to herself than to anyone else. She shrugged. "It must have slipped my mind. I guess I was just glad to see Ninian safe and sound. Anyway, Nils' tunes and Ninian's dances can revitalize us. It's not like healing, in that it doesn't actually heal any wounds, but it does something that somehow allows us to keep on fighting for longer. It's very hard to describe, but if you ever experience it, you'll know what I'm talking about."
"That sounds very useful."
"It is, but their other power is completely different, and more useful in some ways. It allows them to sense danger when it's coming to them. Do you remember that ballista that I told you about before, the one that Lord Lundgren deployed?" Eliwood nodded. "Well, Ninian and Nils both sensed danger coming and told me not to move. If I hadn't followed their advice, the first shot from that ballista might have hit me, and if it had hit me, I probably wouldn't have survived."
Eliwood could barely believe what he had just heard. He never thought he would meet anyone with powers like that. To think that, mere minutes ago, he had thought that Ninian and Nils were just common traveling performers. "Well, I really must be going now," Eliwood said.
Lyn seemed slightly surprised by Eliwood's response. "Do you want to see Ninian?" she asked.
Eliwood shook his head. "No, I wouldn't want to wake her. I'm just glad to know that she and Nils are safe. Take good care of them, Lyn." Without saying anything more, Eliwood left the room. As he walked down the stairs, he wondered whether Lyn and her group would accomplish their task. There could be no doubt that it would be a difficult task, considering the small size of their group. Eliwood was also worried about Ninian. She didn't seem like the hardy type, and he wondered whether she could deal with a battle. But he reminded himself that Lyn would protect her, possibly even putting herself at risk to do so. Eliwood had mixed feelings about that.
A short while later, Eliwood was outside the Khathelet Inn, atop Old Faithful. Whether by curiosity or chance, Eliwood looked up at the second floor of the building. Ninian was at one of the windows, gazing at him. Their eyes met. It was the first time Eliwood had seen Ninian's eyes, and he realized that she had the same crimson colour in her eyes as Nils did. It was just another thing that was different about her. Eliwood smiled and gave her a gentle wave, but she had already turned away. Deciding not to pursue the matter any further, Eliwood rode away from the village. He hoped that would not be the last time they met.
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Three weeks from that day, Eliwood found himself rushing out of Castle Pherae, and into the middle of a celebration. He had been awoken earlier that day by the cheering and dancing in the streets of the castle town, and had hastily gotten dressed and come outside. No one in the castle seemed to know what was going on.
The crowd of people seemed to be made up of nearly everyone in the castle town. Never had Eliwood seen so many jubilant people gathered together in such close proximity, although he'd heard that it had happened when the townspeople had heard of his birth. What could possibly have gotten the people so happy?
Eliwood was about to start questioning people when he heard the ringing that could only be the sound of the town crier's bell. The noise died down a little bit, but the man still had to yell at the top of his voice to be heard. "Hear ye, hear ye!" he shouted. "Lundgren defeated! Lady Lyndis named Marquess Caelin's heir! Lord Hausen on road to recovery from illness!" Eliwood could barely believe it. Lyn had won. Lord Hausen was going to survive, at least for the foreseeable future. Eliwood was filled with a joy beyond words. Soon, he was joining in the celebrations, as were many other people from the castle.
By noon, the celebrations were starting to die down. The crowds soon dispersed, and people returned to their homes. The streets looked almost deserted compared to the way they had been earlier. Eliwood decided it was time to return to the castle. To be honest, he had been starting to worry. Lyn certainly seemed to be safe, but what about the others? If any of them had died, then their deaths probably wouldn't have merited a mention by any official messenger. But it would certainly ruin the celebrations for Eliwood if anything had happened to Ninian, or any of the others for that matter.
As Eliwood neared the castle, he heard a voice behind him cry out, "Lord Eliwood!" Eliwood turned around to see a Caelin soldier standing before him in his resplendent green armour. He was panting heavily, and he held a piece of parchment in his right hand. "A message… from the Lady Lyndis," the soldier gasped.
Eliwood almost tore the note right out of the soldier's hand in his haste to read it. He hastily unrolled the piece of parchment. A note had been written on it in rather messy handwriting (clearly Lyn hadn't done much writing on the plains):
Dear Eliwood,
You have probably heard of our victory by now. If not, you can ask the messenger to tell you the full story. I just wanted to tell you that, whether you choose to believe it or not, I couldn't have succeeded without your help.
Yours truly,
Lyn.
P.S. Everyone in the group, including Ninian and Nils, are fine.
And all Eliwood could do was smile.