Disclaimer: I don't own FE and whatever, just my own characters

This update: fixed a few mistakes from the last chapter, and 1 step closer towards finishing Lyn's story. I also found out that Lyn's age in the jap version is 16, so we'll be going with that, instead of 18.

THE TACTICIANS' WISH

Lyn's Tale Chapter 6: Blood of Pride

"Well, here I am," said Mark, who finally arrived at Castle Pherae. He walked towards the gates of the castle. "Hey! I'm the tactician replacement! Open up!" he called towards the gatekeepers. He heard talking behind the gates as they were being opened, which sounded like:

"Dang, it's not a chick this time..."

"This blows...well, there's still that other chick..."

"OW!"

"Don't even think about it!"

The last one came from a familiar voice. Mark walked into the castle, and was glomped by Hilda.

"Wha..?" Mark was about to ask, but Hilda interrupted.

She whispered to him, "Shh, just play along..." Mark looked at her confused. "Well, boys," she said maliciously at the gatekeepers, "This is my boyfriend, Mark." The guards and the shaman all looked at her in shock.

"Since when am...OW!...I mean, yeah, I'm her boyfriend!" said Mark, biting his lip, not being able to finish his question because Hilda stomped on his instep with her heel, and took the hint.

"If you don't mind, I'd like to be shown to my room, please," said the shaman, hoping to get out of the situation.

"Are you really her boyfriend?" asked one of the castle guards.

"Um...yes..."

"Of course he is!" Hilda answered for him.

"Then you two won't mind proving it by...kissing, hm?" another guard asked. Hilda stayed silent, blushing a bit. The guards smiled, and was about to say something.

Mark, however, noticed Hilda's mistake and covered for her. "And why should we do it in front of you? Are you that deprived of love and sex that you have to see other people making out?" he asked in a cold tone. It was the guards' turn to shut up.

The one thing he loved about being a shaman is that you can be a complete smartass and nobody would argue with you. Being a shaman gives you a somewhat dark, scary, and sometimes, badass aura. Mark thanked that most shamans have this reputation. Then he was shown to his room by a maid, who was giggling at the castle guards, humiliated by a single comment. 'I'm so good, it's scary.'

He went out to see Hilda after he finished unpacking. He met her on the top of the eastern wall. Apparently, she decided to change. She tied her long light blue hair into a ponytail behind her, instead of the 2 pigtails she usually had. She decided to also wear a short skirt with long blue boots, and a white t-shirt. Mark's face went red after seeing her skimpy outfit, and after finally gathering enough courage, he went up and talked to her.

"Kyo's been gone too long. I'm going out to look for him," said Fiaa, heading towards the stables.

"...It's only been 10 hours..." remarked Eiji. Shrugging, he resumed eating his lunch.

'Maybe it's too soon to go look for him...Nah...' Fiaa thought.

"So...where are we now?" Hiro asked the cavaliers.

"We're at Araphen, the biggest city, next to Ostia, in Lycia," replied Sain. "Kent said he was heading to the Marquess' castle for something..."

"Lady Lyndis!" called Kent, as he rode towards the group from the castle. "Let us proceed to the castle. They've prepared supplies for us. The marquess has agreed to aid us on our journey to Caelin."

"He's going to help us?" Lyn asked.

"Yes. Araphen and Caelin have enjoyed a sturdy friendship for many years. Once I informed the marquess of our plight, he agreed to lend us his strength," replied Kent.

"Well, it looks like the journey will go on smoothly after this," Odin chimed in.

"If we could pick up some soldiers, the road to Caelin would be that much safer. I'm truly sorry for hardships you've suffered so far, milady," apologized Kent.

"Oh, it's all right. You are so capable, Kent," was Lyn's reply.

"Kent!" shouted the other 2 cavaliers.

"Oh, Sain, Odin, you were a great help too," Lyn said. Odin breathed a sigh of relief. If she remembered him now, then he might still have a shot. "Well, let's head to the castle then!"

"...Is that fire?" Wil asked as they headed towards the castle.

"You're right..." replied Hiro. A man walked towards the group, and pointed at Lyn.

"You! You are Lyndis, aren't you?" questioned the man.

"What do you want with me?" Lyn asked him.

"No time for questions! Prepare yourself!" said the man, who pulled out a steel sword out of its sheath on his right hip. However, before he could do anything, he was shot in the head by an arrow.

A man riding on a brown horse rode up to the group. His hair was dark pine green, and he had a slight tan. By the looks of his clothes, he was Sacaean. He wore a red bandana over his short hair, as well as dark red battle robes, with patterns in black and gold lining the robes' sides. "...thank you," Lyn said to the man. "Why did you help me?" she asked

"I thought that a Sacaean plainswoman was being attacked. It looks like I was mistaken," was the nomad's reply.

"No, you were right! I am from Sacae. I'm Lyn, the daughter of the Lorca chieftain."

The man raised his eyebrows in response to Lyn's comment. "The Lorca...there were survivors?" He asked her, a bit surprised. Lyn nodded to answer his question. "You should leave at once. A blaze has started in the castle, and it's spreading. Don't be foolish and waste the life I just saved," warned the man.

"You're from the castle? What's happening? How severe is the fire? Is the marquess safe?" Lyn asked him nonstop.

"The castle is under attack, and the marquess has been accosted. The man who attacked you was probably one of the marauders. As captain of the castle guard, it's my duty to rescue the marquess," replied the man.

"Well then, we'll help you," Lyn said.

"Milady..." warned Odin.

"It's me that those villains all after. The least I could do for this castle is to at least drive them away," replied Lyn.

"Well then...I shall accept your aid. I am Rath, of the Kutolah tribe. Our tribes may be different, but I shall never abandon a woman of Sacae."

In a nearby house... "Hey! What are you doing in my house?" a woman light brown haired young man, wearing a lime green shirt, beige pants, and a red cloak.

"Peace! I mean no danger to you! Your home offers a good view of the battle outside. Look, I'll pay you for the privilege. Please," replied the man.

"Like a vulture waiting for the spoils, eh? Terrible! Pay up! I'll be hiding below, so don't bother me," said the woman.

"I wouldn't dream of it. Now then, which side has the most to offer?" wondered the man as he resumed looking over the battlefield. However, he stopped when he saw something glimmer in the corner of his eye. He picked it up. 'A rare Heaven Seal! This would make a fortune!' he thought. Then he looked around the house. 'Well, might as well make the most of this place,' he thought as he looted everything.

"A secret passageway? How clichéd," commented Hiro.

"It leads to the throne room. There are triggers in the barracks that will reveal the passageway," Rath said. "However, we need to release all three triggers or the door won't open, and we won't be able to rescue the marquess. What's worse is that the enemy have hidden themselves in the barracks and locked themselves in with the trigger, and we have no way of getting inside the rooms."

"This could be troublesome. Well, some of the marauders probably have keys on them. I think that I'll go look around for the services of a thief," said Hiro. 'Wish Kassar was here right now...wonder what he's doing?'

At the tactician's guild, Kassar is...doing something very nasty...on a bed of needles. Hiro thought, 'actually, I don't think I want to know...'

"Hey! You! Hold up!" the light brown haired man called to Hiro as he walked near the houses, looking for a pub to hire a thief. "I'm Matthew, a...specialist in acquisitions of all kinds. Would you like to buy my services?" greeted Matthew.

"...In other words, you're a thief?" Hiro asked him, looking at Matthew's pant pockets and giant sack he had on his back. "Well, to put it bluntly, yes..."replied Matthew. "Sweet, you're in. Welcome to Lyndis' Legion. I'm Hiro, the tactician," greeted Hiro.

"Well, Matthew, please open that door for us," instructed Hiro, pointing towards an unguarded door. The thief walked up to it, and took something out of his wristband.

'This should do the trick,' Matthew thought as he opened the previously locked door.

"Well, I think we'll need to split into 3 groups to look for the switches faster. However, we might still need some information. Florina, I want you to go do that, because you'll have trouble maneuvering Huey in the cramped space we'll be fighting in," instructed Hiro. "Matthew, Lyn, and I will be in a group. Dorcas and Wil are another group, Rath and Serra and Erk in another, and the cavaliers will all be in one group."

"Hold on, you will need these..." said Matthew as he gave Dorcas, Rath and Kent 3 golden keys. "These are expensive keys that can open any door, and the best part is, you don't need to know how to pick locks with these. The only problem is, they disappear after 1 use, so be careful where you use them."

"The captain of the marquess's guard is a fellow named Rath... I've heard tell that he's a nomad from the plains of Sacae. Odd, considering how the marquess so obviously hates the nomads. I guess the marquess is pleased to have a nomad under his control. The ways of aristocrats are beyond my comprehension," said a lady at a house Florina just visited.

"The marquess of Araphen's hatred for the people of Sacae is well known. Nomads are barred entrance to the city on the marquess's orders. He says he will not allow the nomads' stench to infect his city. Long ago, the marquess was in love with Marquess Caelin's daughter. It's said she spurned him in favor of a nomadic prince. Even so, I think the marquess goes too far in his treatment of the horsemen," said a man at a different house.

'That's not good news...' Florina thought. 'What if he refuses to help Lyn?'

"Wow! Unless my eyes are deceiving me, that's a treasure chest!" exclaimed Matthew.

"...So?" asked Lyn.

"Well, since we came all this way to help, why don't we help ourselves?" asked Matthew.

"What? That is out of the question! We're here to help the marquess, not loot him!" answered an angry Lyn.

"Well, even if we do help him I don't think he'll be too happy whether we take anything or not," said Matthew.

"Just what is that supposed to mean?" asked Lyn.

"You don't know? The marquess of Araphen hates all Sacaeans."

"But Rath is..."

"That's only because Rath is under the marquess' control...I don't think that the marquess will be helping us because we have you two Sacaeans here. So, why don't we call this looting an...advance in our payment instead, just in case we end up with nothing?" suggested Matthew.

"...Fine," Lyn finally gave in, after hearing Matthew's words.

Matthew, Lyn, and Hiro sneaked towards the chest. In the darkness, they failed to see another chest right beside it, and Hiro tripped over it. "Well, not as sneaky as I would have hoped, but this'll do..." commented Matthew. He used his lock pick to open the first chest, and found a white robe, with two angel wings on its back. It was also sparkling. "This is an angelic robe," explained Matthew, "It's one of many rare magical items that can make its user more powerful when used. However, once used, it disappears, but its effect stays with the user. Lyn, I think you should take this. This is for people of the less...robust side."

Lyn took the robe, and put it on. A bright white ball of light circled around Lyn, and then disappeared along with the robe. "...I feel stronger now," commented Lyn.

The cavaliers rode westward, towards another door outside the castle which Florina spotted. "Hmmm...This door is guarded by 2 knights. We might have a hard time dealing with them, seeing as our weapons probably won't even scratch their armor..." mused Kent.

"That's where I come in. All that armor will so much electricity from my electric attacks, they'll be shocked to death inside," mused Odin. Having seeing that this problem is solved, they rode towards the door again.

"So...How's it going with Lady Lyndis?" Sain asked the black haired cavalier.

"...Wh..Wh...What?" asked Odin with a shocked expression on his face. "Don't deny it, we've all seen the way you look at her. When do you plan on asking her out?" Sain asked him another question.

"...Um...well...uh...That thought is just absurd! I'm just one of her knights, I have no right to think about such things; my duty and purpose is just to protect her!" replied Odin, but he was stammering.

"Sure. That's also Kent's excuse when he liked a maid that was serving at Caelin, too," said Sain.

"HEY! That's not true! I...was only there to do my duty!" said Kent, trying to defend himself as well.

"Yeesh, you guys are hopeless. Do you BOTH want to be virgins for the rest of your lives?" Sain asked them as they reached the knights. Both Odin and Kent blushed a bright red, looking defeated.

"SPIRIT BREAK!" yelled Odin, sending a giant ball of electricity towards the first knight. That knight was instantly electrocuted. Kent and Sain then dashed towards the other knight, pointing their Lances right at him. The knight put his shield up, but was sent flying back from the force of the charge. Kent then rode towards him, and thrust his lance through the knight's helmet visor, impaling the knight's head and killing him.

Sain then opened the door with the golden key Matthew gave him. The key then disappeared. "That's very creepy," he commented. "If all thieves have these in their disposal, why do they never use it to steal from mansions and other places?"

Dorcas charged towards a soldier, batting the soldier's lance away and smashing his axe into the soldier's skull.

"Dorcas, look out!" warned Wil as a Javelin just missed the fighter's head by an inch. Wil then took out an arrow and shot it at the soldier who just threw the Javelin. The 2 moved quickly towards another door, and opened it.

"Look, I think that knight is standing on the switch!" exclaimed Wil. "Leave him to me. Just watch our backs," instructed Dorcas. Dorcas then ran towards the knight. The knight smirked, 'This will be easy,' he thought, preparing himself to raise his lance at the right moment so Dorcas will impale himself on it. However, Dorcas saw this movement, and just when he reached the lance's range, he spun around to his right, and went into a whirlwind. His axe struck the knight's chest hard. The knight grunted in pain, and Dorcas took this time to smash his axe into the knight's helmet, cracking the knight's skull. Then he activated the switch. "Success," he said, giving a thumbs up to Wil.

"Fire!" yelled Erk, sending a barrage of tiny yet effective balls of painful burning death at enemy soldiers. Rath sniped the soldiers that Erk had missed.

"Your aim could be better, Erk," commented Rath.

"I know, I need more practic..." replied Erk, but he wasn't able to finish as Serra interrupted him.

"UGH! ERK! Let's get out of here! The stench of burning flesh is killing my nose! And this is all your fault! This isn't good for my lungs, you know..." and she went on and on.

"...Do you have to deal with this everyday?" Rath whispered the question towards Erk.

"Since a couple of days ago, yes. I'm supposed to be her escort until she reaches Ostia. And when we're finally there, I will finally feel true freedom," he whispered back, sighing as he noticed that Serra is still complaining. "Dear Elimine, just shut up already," he growled through gritted teeth.

"Hey, this is an armorslayer!" exclaimed Matthew as he opened the other chest. "This blade is specifically made to fight heavily armored knights! This could be useful when we do encounter those!" He gave it to Hiro. "I'm not too fond of fighting those knights, so I won't be using this."

Serra opened the door towards another room. "Look, there's a switch! And that armor knight is guarding it!" exclaimed Erk. However, there are 2 soldiers and a mercenary. Erk aimed a fire spell towards a soldier and Rath shot an arrow at the other. However, the mercenary dashed towards Serra as Erk and Rath were busy with the soldiers.

"EEEEK! ERKKKK!" screamed Serra. The mercenary stopped in front of her in shocked silence, not expecting this kind of retaliation. 'I think I'm deaf,' thought the knight. Serra then ran up to him and whacked his head repeatedly with her heal staff...hard. "GO AWAY, GO AWAAY!" yelled Serra. When the mercenary was knocked out, Rath shot an arrow through his heart. Meanwhile, Erk ran up towards the armor knight.

"Bah. Lyndis and her cadre. When did you arrive? No matter. I shall deal with you," said the knight.

"I'd like to see you try!" yelled Erk, as he charged up a fire spell, and releasing it. The knight, not being fast enough to be able to dodge it, put up his shield to block it. However, the shield was no match for a fully charged fire spell, as it melted at the moment of impact with the flaming ball of death.

"Damn it," said the knight, who then tossed the shield away. Then he ran towards Erk, but he seemed to have a lot of difficulty doing it. Erk dodged his lance by rolling to his left. The knight continued running, not being able to stop in his heavy armor. His lance got stuck in the wall. Cursing, he started pulling it out, but was interrupted by Erk.

"Hey, ugly! What happens to a piece of flesh covered in metal when it gets charbroiled to 'over cook?'" The knight turned around, fearing what might come next. He saw a giant fireball heading straight towards his chest, and melting his armor. The melted armor, being very hot, charred the knight's skin, and it burned him. When it cooled down, he finally stopped screaming. "Same thing that happens to everything else," Erk answered his own question, and gave a twisted grin, satisfied with his work. "Man, that was great stress relief," he sighed, as he activated the switch.

"It looks like they succeeded. I'll call them to meet up at the passage way," said Hiro.

The group walked down the secret passageway. "Um...Lyn?" Florina asked the lord as she walked up to her friend. "I heard from the villagers...that the marquess despises Sacaeans. Do you think he'll help us when he knows that you're one of them?"

Lyn looked at the ground, and said, "I hope so..."

The group finally reached the marquess' chambers. "Ah, Rath!" he greeted the nomad, "What a splendid performance! You did well, as always."

"Please sir, if you have any praise, it should be given to this group," Rath said, motioning his hand towards the group of warriors.

"My name is Lyndis. It's a pleasure to meet you," greeted Lyn.

"...oh, it's you. You're Marquess Caelin's...Leave us for a moment, Rath, I would like to talk to her," said the marquess as Rath backed away.

"Now, Lady Lyndis, do you know the identity of those responsible for this attack?" asked the marquess.

"I believe it was my granduncle Lundgren..."replied Lyn, looking down at the ground.

"That is correct. This means that my castle has been damaged, and the cause is your family's little inheritance dispute," said the marquess, glaring at her. Lyn quickly apologized. "When I heard that Lady Madelyn's daughter was in trouble, I thought to lend my assistance... I find I've changed my mind. I withdraw my offer," said the marquess.

"What? But milord, you gave me your word!" exclaimed Kent.

"Your name is Kent, is it not? You failed to inform me of one most vital detail!" replied the marquess, looking at him as coldly as he did Lyn.

"...What is it, milord?" asked the cavalier, returning the old man's cold stare with his own.

"This girl does resemble Lady Madelyn, but... I didn't expect to see her so tainted with the blood of Sacae," answered the marquess. Lyn looked up at him at that comment.

Hiro also looked surprised. "What?" both of them asked in unison.

"And that swordsman...he's a Sacaean as well," said the marquess, spitting in Hiro's direction, and the tactician was having a hard time keeping his Muramasa in its sheathe. "Kent, don't you feel the marquess of Caelin would be troubled to meet this... nomadic mongrel?" asked the marquess.

"You...bloody cursed selfish SON OF A...!" cursed Hiro, about to take his sword out, but was restrained by Odin and Dorcas. He growled menacingly, giving the old man a death glare from his menacing blood red eyes. The old man, shivered a bit at looking at Hiro's eyes. "I'm only part Sacaean, but that doesn't mean I'll let you insult us and treat us like dogs!" he yelled at the marquess.

"Hmmm. Your slave...he is poorly disciplined," commented the marquess.

"SLAVE! WHY DON'T I TAKE MY FOOT AND SHOVE IT UP YOUR SENILE CRINKLED..." yelled Hiro, this time being restrained by all the men in the army.

"Marquess Araphen, please if you could help us with your aid...We are in a terrible situation right now..." pleaded Kent.

"... I hear Marquess Caelin is ill and abed. I question whether he will survive to meet this girl. In which case, his brother, Lundgren, will claim his title. And I certainly wish to avoid trouble with the coming marquess," replied Marquess Araphen.

"You scheming..." it was Sain's turn to be angry at him.

"I understand. Odin, Kent, Sain, we leave at once," Lyn said.

"But milady...we..." said Kent, but Lyn interrupted him.

"I am proud of the Sacae blood that runs through my veins. I will NOT accept aid from one who disparages my heritage." Hiro looked at the marquess with a menacing glare. The marquess returned the myrmidon's glare, but is badly losing this staring contest as the red eyes fill him with great fear.

Then Hiro walked away with the rest of the group. "Bastard," he said.

"Way to tell that lout, milady!" congratulated Sain. "Don't worry about anything. We're all here for you! Isn't that so, Kent?"

Kent looked at Lyn. "...I apologize, milady. I was so focused on getting us back to Caelin, I didn't take your feelings into account," he said to her.

"Hey, let it go. At least we're back on the road again," said Odin. "Milady Lyndis, I hope this little problem hasn't discouraged you..."

Lyn shook her head. "...No, not at all. Thank you Odin, Sain, Kent. You've all been a great help so far," she replied.

"Bah! Arrogant child! If she had but shed a single tear, I would have granted her request. We Lycian nobles will never understand those prideful savages," said the marquess as he talked to himself in his room, angry at Lyn.

Rath was just outside his room when he heard this. He then barged in. "Is that what you really think of all the Sacaeans, milord?" Rath asked the marquess in a cold tone

. "...Oh, Rath! Of course comments do not reflect on you. You are my captain. I am proud of your service," replied the marquess, surprised at Rath's sudden appearance.

"Of course. As long as we bend our knee to you, you care not where we're from. But when an equal comes from my lands? What conceit," said Rath, in an even colder tone than before.

"Rath! How can you speak to me like that? I have treated you well, have I not? I have paid you well. I have treated you better than your kind deserves," replied the marquess coldly.

"You will never understand. My service ends here," and with that, Rath left to get his belongings.

"Lady Lyndis," called Rath as he caught up with Lyn's group.

"Rath? What's the matter?" Lyn asked him.

"I overheard the marquess talking to himself. Lyn of the Lorca... Proud daugther of the Sacae... I would join you. I would add my strength to yours," answered Rath. He then took out a sack of gold. "Here, I want you to have this," he said, handing the sack to her.

"...Rath! This is too much! I can't accept this! Your service would be more than enough!" said a surprised Lyn, after looking at the gold.

"I cannot take something back once offered," was Rath's reply. "Rath...thank you..." thanked Lyn.

The group set up camp inside a forest clearing. Lyn walked off to take some time off to think. When Odin noticed that she had gone, he went to look for her.

Florina was feeding Huey. Wil noticed that she was a bit far from the rest of the group. '...that's right, she's afraid of men. I think I should help her get rid of this fear...but... this... might be a problem,' he thought, looking down at his crotch, remembering the incident at the river. He sighed, got up, and walked towards the Pegasus knight. 'Control yourself, Willy, and you might be free in the end,' he thought, looking down there again.

"...Milady?" Odin asked as he found her sitting under a tree, deep in thought. When he greeted her, she looked up in surprise. "...I'm sorry if I disturbed you, but I noticed that you were missing from camp. Are you all right, milady?" Lyn nodded, and motioned her hand for him to sit beside her. Odin obeyed.

"...Odin?" Odin looked at her.

"...Thank you. I know that this is a tiring journey, yet you all have been giving it your all just to get me there. I noticed that you are giving the most effort out of all of us to help me; you've been the kindest to me, and you're always here when I need help." Odin blushed.

"...It's my duty as your knight, milady."

Lyn looked a bit disappointed at his reply. "...I see." And she walked up and left towards camp.

'DAMN! I blew it!' thought Odin. "Maybe Hiro was right, this chivalry thing isn't good for picking up women," he said to himself.

Wil walked up to Florina, but stopped when he heard his stomach grumble, and when he saw a bird up in a tree. 'Might as well go hunting. This should also help lessen her fear of archers as well,' he thought. He went to his tent to pick up his bow, and told the guys he was going to go hunting. He went looking for the bird again, which was... on a tree right behind Florina. He sighed, and walked up to her.

Florina got on Huey's back to wash her mane. She looked up, and saw Wil walk up to her, bow in hand. Although she knew that he wasn't going to hurt her, she was terrified, simply because he's holding a bow. When he walked closer, however, instead of running away in fear, she simply sat there looking at him. She didn't notice, however, that she was blushing, and for each step Wil took, her face grew a heavier shade of red until she looked like she has a fever. "Oh my god, Florina! Do you have a fever?" Wil looked at her with concern, noticing her increasingly red face. Florina looked puzzled, but realized why he asked her that.

"Oh...no, I'm okay...it's nothing," she replied, really embarrassed. "...Florina can I talk to you for a second?" Wil asked her, a bit disappointed that dinner will have to wait.

Florina slowly nodded. 'Why did I do that?' she thought.

They walked up to another tree, far from camp, and sat under its mighty branches. "Florina...I want to help you...get rid of your fear of guys," Wil said to her. Florina blushed a bit. "Why are you afraid anyways?"

"Um...well, it's a long story. Do you want to listen to it?" she asked him.

"Sure, I've got the time," replied Wil.

"FARINA!" A 7 year old Florina cried to her older sister. She and Fiora were looking for Farina in Ilia, along with their friends Fiaa and Lolita. After finding their sister, the sight horrified them...

Florina broke down into tears after she finished. "...She was raped, huh..." said Wil slowly. Florina cried harder and...held her arms around Wil, crying into his chest. "...I'm sorry that you had to see it at such a young age..." He said, trying to comfort her.

"...It's okay...Anyways, after that, Farina was a lot more aggressive, always trying her hardest to become the strongest...so it would never happen again," Florina finished.

"Well, I hope that telling this story to someone at least helped you a little bit," Wil said.

As he was about to leave, he felt something still holding him. 'She hasn't let go yet? I must be doing better than I thought,' thought Wil. He looked to his left to see that Florina was just awaken; his movement of getting up woke her. "I'm sorry, I didn't know you were asleep," Wil apologized.

"...It's okay," Florina said. Both got up, and walked back to camp.

Florina still holding on to Wil didn't notice a large root in her path, so she tripped over it. Wil's reflex was to try to grab her so she wouldn't fall. He bent down to catch her. He managed to catch her, but barely. He sighed, but that feeling of relief left when he noticed that his hands were holding round, soft, yet firm things. 'OH SH!T!' he thought.

Florina's face was VERY red. "um...Wil..."

"OHDEARELIMINEI'MSORRYPLEASEDON'TKILLME!" begged Wil after he helped Florina up, and curling up into his trademark fetal position of shame. Florina, however, just grabbed his shoulders and pulled him up. Wil was relieved.

"...Thank you," she said, still very embarrassed over what just happened.

The two walked closer to each other, until Florina's whole front part of her body was touching Wil's. Both were very red in the face, but neither pushed the other one away. Florina closed her eyes, and moved her face closer to Wil's, as he did the same thing. In a moment, their lips met, and they held each other tightly, not willing to let the other person go. In a spur of the moment thing, Florina jumped and straddled Wil, who was on the ground and looking at the beautiful young girl on top of him. She kissed him again, deeply this time, and Wil held her in a tighter embrace than before, not willing to let her go. And they went farther into the greatest make out session of their lives. (No xxx YET, ppl).

Wil and Florina came back to camp VERY late at night, looking very tired, sweating, and with very messed up hair to find Hiro on guard duty, looking shocked. He said nothing as Wil walked Florina to her tent and walked up to the campfire. After Wil sat down, and was about to tell his friend about what happened, Hiro finally said, "...I don't even want to know where you went and what you did...but good job. I'm proud of you." Wil was relieved. "Really, though, it seemed that you got her to conquer her fear of men. That's impressive," Hiro congratulated him.

"Thanks, couldn't have done it without your advice. Telling me to help her get rid of her fears certainly helped," Wil thanked his friend.

"I'm guessing that's what started the make out session," Hiro replied. Wil nodded.

"I'm not going to tell Lyn, or she'll slaughter you," Hiro finished.

Karla finally arrived at the neighboring village, and bought herself an antidote. Then she sprinted towards the village she just ran from. It was tiring, but she couldn't just abandon an old man in need.

"Well, boys, why don't you all just LEAVE US ALONE?" yelled Hilda. Mark just nodded in agreement.

"No can do, pretty lady, unless you prove to us you're really his girlfriend."

Hilda, very angry, was about to strike him with her staff, when Mark held her arm. She looked at him, but also noticed that he was holding her hand firmly, yet gently at the same time, not wanting to hurt her. She didn't attack, and blushed. "Thanks, don't know what I would have done to them if you didn't interfere," she whispered to him. Mark just nodded, and grinned.

"Well, I don't care if they be coupled or not, the lady's ours, so you better move it, WIMP!" said one of the guards as he pushed Mark away from Hilda, and proceeded to beat him with a lance, and Mark was obviously in pain.

"WAIT! You said you'll all stop if we prove it right?" Hilda asked them. "We'll show you then...just don't hurt him!" she pleaded.

"Fine, ruin my fun," said the guard.

Hilda pulled Mark up and pulled his face closed to hers. He could see she had tears in her eyes, it was obvious that she had mixed feelings about this matter. "This is the only way they'll leave us alone...I'm sorry, Mark," said Hilda as she closed her eyes, and kissed him.

"Dang," said one of the guards, leaving, and his companions soon leaving with him.

"MMFFMMFMFM!" mumbled Mark. Hilda finally opened her eyes, and pulled out of the kiss. She looked around, embarrassed to find that none of the guards are there anymore.

"...sorry, what was that?" she asked him, stammering.

"I was trying to say they're gone now since about 5 minutes ago," Mark answered, making her blush even redder. He then walked towards his room. "...Hilda?" he asked as her as he was about to turn the corner. She looked up at him. "Let's do that again sometime." Hilda blushed at his comment, and then smiled, and went to her room.

End Lyn's tale chapter 6

No Wil and Florina sex yet, way too early in the story.