DISCLAIMER: I do not own Fire Emblem, Nintendo does. I just own this version of the plot, and original characters.

Reviewer's Corner:

Green Paladin: Some dark things are included in this chapter for the characters. Plus, some of your questions will be answered, though hopefully I'll give you some more questions to ask too.

Chaos Night Malik: Angst is what I was looking for, and that's what I continue to write for my story. So you think 'Lisa' is an alias, do you? You'll find your answer in this chapter. And thanks.

BloodyCrystal: Thanks for reviewing. I felt that the Taliver should have a brutal light shown upon them, and that is what I've tried to do. Ganelon's didn't like to be called Taliver, when the player encounters them when meeting Florina in Lyn's quest. So I took it from there to make an intense rivalry between the two clans.

(A/N: First, It's been awhile since I last updated, since this chapter is the largest that I have for my story so far. But I leave it up to you readers to form your own opinions of this chapter, so if you would, please review when you are done reading. Secondly, I can't in good conscience lower my rating on my story just to get more reviews, so I ask whoever reads this, to ask your friends to R&R my story. If you do, I'll try to do quicker updates asa way of thanking you. If you don't then I won't be heart-broken, so no worries.)

Chapter 5: Unwelcomed Surprises

I awoke with a very sore back. I then remembered what had happened though. 'Groznyi, you bastard.'

I was inside my tent, but on a blanket, that covered the ground, and had another blanket which I used for warmth. But I couldn't remember why I had slept on the ground in the first place, instead of my bedroll. My bedroll was empty, but had the blankets pulled back.

Then it hit me ... "Lisa!" I never knew true panic until this moment.

I jumped up instantly, taking a few steps out of my tent. Only a few of the men and one Earl, could be seen moving around at first light. I looked around feverishly, first scanning the camp left to right, then right to left. I couldn't see her.

Then I listened ... nothing. No screams, no sounds of any struggle, simply nothing. 'Damn, damn, damn!' My head was looking left and right again, until there was then a light tap on my shoulder. I nearly jumped out of my skin, as I turned around to find a very startled girl.

"Aie! ... Calm down, calm down," she said, while obviously startled by my own actions. "I only went to the river that you were at last night, and freshened myself up too." I was breathing heavily, after being genuinely scared out of my wits for the first time in a very long while.

"Don't scare me like that, ever again. Next time, you wake me up."

"You sure?" she asked.

While looking at the ground trying to catch my breath, I nodded fursiously.

"Sorry about that. I didn't want to disturb you. I thought you needed the sleep, given what happened."

She was right about that I guess. Too bad my sleep was restless. With a large burn mark on your back, you wouldn't sleep much either.

"Yeah your probably right about the sleep part, but for your safety, don't go anywhere by yourself again, not while you are with the Taliver Bandits. Too many things can happen to a young woman like you. Understand?"

She nodded. "Understood."

I nodded once more, and then went finally back into my tent, to get a better idea of what my back would be like. Lisa came in behind me, and started folding up my bedroll. I guess she figured it was the least she could do after frightening the crap right out of me. I sat down, and pulled off my shirt. I again, had a bare upper torso.

"Oh, do you want me to leave while you do this?" she asked, with a little embarrassment in her face.

"No, I actually need you ..." All of a sudden, Lisa had a weird look about her. "Oh, ... no, not like that ... I mean ... " I started studdering. It was my turn to start blushing and look embarrassed too.

But she took the initiative and finished my sentence, asking, "you need me to see if there is any blood left on your back, is that it?"

"Only if you want to of course. Or does blood bother you?"

"No, a little blood doesn't matter. I'm should be able to do this. For a friend anyway."

I smiled as she said that. It made me glad, to know that I had did have one friend at least, besides Earl. I sat and turned around, so that she could see my back, instead of my chest. Lisa then knelt down, and I heard her gasp some, as she looked at the newly branded mark.

Hearing her, I started a quiet conversation. "Yeah, the Taliver. I just thought they were simple bandits when I joined them about two and a half years ago," I lamented. "I have been a fool, ever since, thinking that I could leave any time I wanted to. I did not think I would actually become one."

She placed one of her small, but smooth hands, onto my back. I shivered a little. Lisa noticed and pulled back some.

"Sorry..."

"Don't be, my body is still warming up from the morning chill."

That was part of the reason. The other part was that it was the first time I had anyone touching my back, especially someone of the opposite sex. I grabbed a canteen of water, and took a drink. This water would be my breakfast, as I didn't want any of Earl's food today. She then put both hands onto my back this time, and slowly went down. Lisa eventually found her way down to the T.

From the force of Groznyi's push, and the amount of heat coming off the iron marker, the part of my skin that was burned was cracking. Which in turn, was showing raw flesh underneath. Luckily that skin wasn't bleeding. That was the only real good news though. The outer skin was charred black, and hurt like hell. I never thought I would feel physical pain like that. But I would one day know the mental pain similar to it, however.

My face grimaced some as she took her fore finger and traced the outline of the mark. "Does it hurt any, when I do that?"

"Not really," I fibbed.

"Now, I might be young and naive looking, but I know when someone is lying to me after receiving something like this."

I smirked a little, as I turned my head some in her direction. "I apologize." I managed to lean off to the side, and get to another vulnerary out of my satchel. It was close enough along side me, that I handed the healing herbs to Lisa.

"Since your back there then, would you mind putting a little healing potion on the charred parts? Your right, its starting to pain some now." 'Some ... try alot of pain.'

Lisa took the vulnerary, and rubbed the cooling indgredients over the charred and cracked parts of skin. The skin began to close, though the black parts stayed however. But at least the pain was gone,at leastfor now.

"The black parts won't heal properly," she stated. "If you ever try to get this mark removed, you need to have a healing staff with a skilled cleric to do it."

"I don't want the mark removed." She was stunned by my statement. I couldn't really believe I said it either, though through Lisa's silence, I felt I should continue, and quickly.

"Your silence speaks volumes. But there are two simple reasons. The first one being, that if I tried to remove it now, it would be seen as betrayal to the clan. That means instant death. After doing all I did, and what I've been through, death is not something I want right now. The other reason is of a more personal nature."

The vulnerary dissolved enough, that I began putting on my shirt again. Lisa stood back up, patiently waiting for my answer.

"You probably have a right to know ..." I said. "It has become my own ..." I was looking for the right words, but pain of the mind could be called so many things. Still, I continued. "It is now my own personal mark of shame. A constant reminder of how low I myself, as a man, have become." I said that last statement with tears rolling down my cheeks.

I then moved over to put on my vest, as Lisa put the vulnerary pack into my satchel, and came over to me. I guess she was feeling pity, or, something like pity anyway.

"I prayed to St. Elimine last night for you."

Wow. Now that was surprising. Very surprising.

I still continued to put on my vest, albeit a little more slowly now. "What for? A waste of a prayer, if you ask me ..."

She had a sadened look about her, but replied again. "No, it wasn't. Whatever your history might be, I don't believe this is the right path for you. Destiny, fate, the chosen way, whatever you want to call it, but I believe that St. Elimine has more in store for you than you realize."

I looked into Lisa's eyes. They was something there, thats for sure. A fiery belief that would not be put down by any oppressive wave of doubt. A feeling of doing good, that she was willing to share with me, of all people.

I finally replied. "I hope your right. I really do. I myself did not see any chance of redemtion, when I was branded this travesty, but I guess with friends around, there is hope for everyone. Thank you."

"Its what friends do." She smiled, looking content again. Quickly changing the subject, as her ears picked up the sounds of more men moving around, she said, "Come on, Paul, we leaving for Bern. You need to get your things together."

I laughed. 'She was telling me to hurry up? Unbelievable!'

I stood up straighter, stiffened some and saluted her. "Yes, ma'am!"

She giggled, and then went outside by the rock she sat on last night. "I'll be waiting."

Of all people, a girl name Lisa, had said things to me that were ... hopeful. What sort of person was I to know such a concept? Who was I, to have a gift in the form of a friend like her? I thought I was beyond redemption, or any reconciliation. But maybe, just maybe, Lisa was right.

The Gods do work in mysterious ways, and this friend I have now is their gift to me. This may be St. Elimine's way of rekindling my hope, and refreshing my soul into the ways of good and rightousness, instead of ignorant evil. If this turned out to be true, then I would be truly gracious of the gift I have received.

Given these new thoughts to think about while I packed my bedroll into my main bag, I began thinking in a different light, so to speak. In my mind, there was no longer just a tunnel that led deeper into more darkness, but what now appeared to be a small beacon of light near the end. In essence, I began to think there was a way out of my current predicament. How or when, I didn't know. Though branded the mark or not, it was time to start working on a way to leave the Taliver.

"Want some breakfast, sonny?"

"No thanks Earl, I'm not that hungry." I smiled as I said this. I was fully dressed now, with a satchel, and a bag on my back. I had my dagger sheathed, and I was leaning on my now clean lance. "I don't want to have a bad stomach on the trip east now."

"Suit yourself. Just don't expect as much food in your bowl, the next time we set up camp." Earl said this while smirking some.

'I don't expect much anyway,' I thought.

Lisa was no more than two feet away from me, when one of the men asked if she was on the menu. Apparently he had forgotten what happened the day before, and looked like he was still half asleep.

I grabbed my lance with my other hand, and was getting ready to fight, but I saw Lisa had the situation quite in hand, even without my help. She had her sword unsheathed, and rapidly placed in the groin area of the guy that said the comment. A lot of stifled laughing could be heard, and I was now beginning to grin from ear-to-ear as well. The bandit that had said the previous comment, was wide awake now, and was sweating most strenuously. He looked like he was going to shit his pants from fear of losing his, ...'extension.'

"Do you think I'm on the menu?" Lisa lifted her sword a little higher, definitely getting the man's attention now, even cutting through the seam in his ragged pants.

"Ahhh!"

"I am not something for you or anyone else to eat! Got it?"

I never seen her like this before. She was talking with authority. Just about everyone was either still smirking or was now starting to be impressed. We all now knew why not to tick her off though. Some laughing was coming out now and then from the rest of the group.

The guy was that freaked out had his eyes clinched shut, and was sobbing. "No, no, you will never be for me, or anyone else!" he cried. But Lisa had already pulled her sword back, sheathing it. "Start acting like a man then, and stop crying already."

The look on the guy's face was priceless, especially when he opened his eyes again. The camp was in an laughing uproar. It could probably be heard for miles all around.

Lisa came over to stand next to me again.

"Remind me, never to make you angry," I said to her. She smiled at me, and then said an old Elimine proverb: "Hell hath no fury, like a woman scorned."

"Ah, but hell is just a word. The reality of it, is much, much worse," I replied. How I sometimes regret some of the things that I say. They always seem to have a way of coming true.

"I thought you were supposed to be a tactican, whelp, not aman who puts fancy words together." This was Groznyi. He would have been laughing more than he was, if it wasn't because of his black eye,or his own sore back.

"You sure know how to brighten the morning don't you," I said. Groznyi was not a pretty man. But he was a lot harder looking this morning. It seems, I gave him a harder thump than even I had thought possible. But there was no doubt that he deserved it.

Everyone seemed to be ready, and then we all heard Jayson. "Allright everybody, time to leave. Lets go to Bern!"

Most of the men cheered. I just rolled my eyes. Lisa muttered the word, "imbeciles." In essence, she was right. Bern was not a place to be right now, especially for bandits. In the next couple of months, I would regret it even more, the decision I made to join these ruffians, as well as the decision to go to Bern in the frist place.

(One month later:)

We have been travelling for almost a month. It probably would have been quicker if everyone was on horseback, but, as it turned out, everyone here, myself included, walked the distance.

Our entire bandit group had started off two to three weeks ago, leaving the border with Ilia and Sacae, and travelled southward through the Plains, towards Bern. What a beautiful place Sacae was. The endless fields of grass, along with the scattered tree, and the usual clear blue sky. If someone had a fear of enclosed places like that of a castle, they could always move here, I thought.

As we were nearing the mountains in the south, we saw nomads on horseback riding far off in the distance. We could tell they were going fast and thankfully, away from us, as we headed south. Personally, I had no problems with Hanon andthenomadicancestors, but too bad the rest of the continent didn't think like that. It was common knowledge thata few Marquesses in Lycia, Etruia, and even the Hierarchy in Bern, turn a blind eye to the nomads. The Saceans don't care much about outside events much, so I guess it didn't matter to them if they were the disregarded people of Elibe.Too bad though, as I heard stories that Saceans were one of the most honorable people in the world.

Our group has been walking single file on our trip to the East. I was in the rear, with Lisa walking in front of me. Jayson and Groznyi were in the head of the group leading the way. The rest of the men were following our fearless and stupid leaders, or stupid in my opinion as Bern was the last place I wanted to be. But while travelling, I remembered two things that I said I was going to do, and since we were still in the grasslands of Elibe, I took out my slim lance.

"What are you doing?"

"You might want to walk over to the left of me by about 10 paces, as I am going to practice with my lance while we walk."

"You're going to practice at a time like this?" asked a brow-furrowed girl.

"Why not? We are not in a battle. I'm not formulating a battle plan. And I'm not arguing with that green haired brute, so I'm going to practice my handling with this thing. Maybe even do some combat moves like a myrmidon does."

"A myrmidon uses a sword."

"So I like to be different."

Lisa shrugged. I guess she didn't want to argue anymore. But I wonder if she still wanted to talk. See, the other thing that I remembered was the deal about sharing information with her, and vice versa. I had never gotten around to asking her about as I was a little pre-occupied that night. Being in the rear of the line, the men shouldn't be able to hear us either. At least not clearly.

"Lisa." I started spinning my lance around in my right hand.

"Hmm ... yes?" she asked. 'It looked like I caught her off gaurd. I wonder what she was thinking about?'

"Remember, back when at the village when ..." I remember the pain on that insufferable night all too well, but I had to shut it out of my mind. "When I said we make a deal about telling each other some of our past?"

She turned her head to reply, "Yeah, I remember. We made that agreement before you got that damned mark on your back." Lisa was angry at that still. No use to be angry about it now, as she, and especially me, will have to live with it.

"I was thinking that we could share some information now, as we are somewhat by ourselves in the back of the line." I then switched my lance to the other hand, as my right hand was getting tired.

"It would probably be the best time to do it, so ok."

"How 'bout that I say a little about myself, for example my place of birth, and then you would say your place of birth?"

"Sounds reasonable. I'm all ears," she replied. "But you can go first."

"I can live with that." 'So, I would finally find some things out about the little vixen. But will it be true? It all depends on how she responds to what I say, as her last responses were actually a little vague. I must watch her reactions carefully.'

I have got to be more careful. Paul caught me completely unaware when he asked me that question. It was right out of the blue! But he was right. Being in the back of the line behind a bunch of brutes, was most likely going to be the best way to get my information before I somehow meet my contact out here in Bern. This apprentice tactician probably won't tell me everything, but one can hope right?

Oh Saint Elimine, please let me be right about this young man. If he had a bad beginning in life, I might be able to understand, but if Paul came from any prominent house in Elibe, then what went wrong? What would make him join these brutal bandits?

But enough about trying to figure him out. I need to remember my cover story, and quick. Its the only real thing that can really save me now. If he even has an inkling that I am an informant for either of the two organizations that I work for, the rest of the men won't need to kill me, as Paul will run me through as quick as he killed that creep of a man back at the last village. And with the way that he is twirling that lance of his, I'd swear that he knew some weapon's training before he even joined this bloodthirsty group.

But then, I guess I can tell him little bits of truth, as long as he doesn't suspect me. Time to see if all those classes with Matthew was any real benefit. Oh, St. Elimine, I pray to you for protection!

I said I would start in our conversation, so I did.

"Alright. I was born and raised in North-Eastern Ilia. Went to school there too. My parents found out that I was bright in the ways of tactics and strategy. They were planning on only giving me basic schooling, to train me as a mercenary, but after finding out that I could become a tactician, they had their hopes up that I might one day become a war planner for a Noble house on the Continent." I then stop twirling my lance, as I had enough lance training for today. I put my weapon back into my my holster, which was located on my back.

"Ilia, I never would have thought that you were born so far up north."

'Hmm, ...Lisa looks like she had a genuine interest into where this excuse for a man was conceived. Well, he was born in a frozen hell, instead of the normal hot one.'

"So where were you born?"

"Me? I was born in Western Lycia, and grew up in a small village in between Ostia and Laus. Quite a warmer climate than Ilia will ever be," she said as she smiled. I smiled too, as I agreed with her. 'Born in Lycia, near Ostia. One of the most powerful of the Lycian League. I wonder if I made a friend with a spy, and didn't even know it ...'

"For schooling, my village had a small school, that my family sent me. After graduating, they wanted me to stay home, ..." 'I wonder if this is an act? If it is, its a really good one.' Lisa then finished her sentence, "but I ran away. I've been moving from town to town, looking for something better, something more exciting than living at home."

"Ah, a run-away turned bandit." She laughed. "I don't officially call myself a bandit. No, rather a youth that wanted to discover the more dangerous side of life."

"You have achieved your goal then, as life doesn't get anymore dangerous than bandits." Oh how I was going to be proved wrong on this statement as well.

"That was also a good beginning," I said. I could still see the men, as we continued walking south. I saw the start of a mountain range in the Southeast. "It's official. We are deep in Eastern Bern now. I'd advise to have an extra eye on the surroundings, besides having one on the brigands as well."

"Expecting trouble?" Lisa then put her right hand on her sword hilt.

"Actually, I am. Jayson wanted to go looking for the Ganelons, which is suicidal in my opinion. Plus mercenaries have been sighted around the capital. If the men don't have any uneasy feelings, then I sure do. Bern gives me the creeps." I didn't let her know that I knew that assasins might also be lurking around in these woods too.

About 500 paces behind on the trail, a figure with long purple hair, and a loose dark cloak was stealthily following the group. It was his job to keep track of the bandits that entered Bern's borders not that long ago. But that wasn't the only reason, as he was supposed to make contact with the Black Fang's informant within this group.

The man knew that he wouldn't become one of the famed Elite Fangs, but he knew that if he did his job well, there would be good things waiting for him.

Our group finally reached a spot that looked to be a good defensive area, to me anyway, as to why I suggested it in the first place. It had a small group of trees to the east, a few rocky hills to the south, and an open expanse to the north. The expanse was a plateau really, where we had just travelled here from Sacae. We also just came from a small battle, where the men killed a small camp of Ganelon's. Jayson managed to get some information from one, before the man was killed. What the Ganelon said, was that there was a bigger group of his brethren farther south. So that's why we were deeper into Bern that I would have liked. We took a few losses as a result of this skirmish, so that was one of the reason's for stopping for the day.

We set up our camp just to the west of the trees. It would provide cover if attacked, protection from the weather, and game for hunting. I had my tent set up before anyone else did, near a tree that had toppled over from old age. I then went to take a look around.

I was correct in being nervous, as I started to get a strange feeling. It was the same strange feeling that I had when Lisa began watching me, when the incident happened at the village up north. This group of bandits were being watched and I was the only one who knew it.

I looked around to the east. The rest of the men were starting to file in, either sitting down on the closest rock, or about to go to sleep from all the travel. Earl was starting up the campfire, and was also getting his bow ready to go hunting. I was looking for Lisa, but I couldn't find her anywhere close. I even strode through the camp, looking for the little bundle of mystery, as that was what she was to me really. Despite having a little knowledge about her, she was still an enigma.

'Where did you go this time?' I went back to my tent, and then saw that her bag was dropped off onto my bedroll. I also saw a note right next to it. It read: Don't worry, I'm only gone to relieve myself out in the woods. Be back soon.

'Relieve herself?' Women. The one thing that all men on Elibe will never figure out.

So not being content, I went to the outside of my tent a little ways, took out my lance again, and began practicing again. It was the only little bit of practice that I would get, before I would really need to use it.

Because in about an hour's time, hell was about to sneak up on us.

(Five Minutes Ago:)

I dropped my bag off in his tent, after expertly hiding from the tactician when he went looking for me. It felt good to be alone, even if only for a few minutes. 'I wonder if my contact caught up with us yet.' I was a ways out in the woods, but I could easily hear the sounds of the camp, so I knew what direction to go so I wouldn't get loss.

Snap! 'That was not a natural sound for this environment.'

Slowly taking out her sword, the girl known as Lisa to the tactician scanned the woods. She knew no one from the camp followed her, so she tried what came to her.

"Hello?"

A man that was just over Lisa's height stepped out from behind a giant redwood tree, with a dark purple-blue cloak, and a purple bandana around his forehead. His face was one of neutrality, though Lisa knew him as her contact.

"Greetings, Leila. How are you?"

"I'm fine. I take it we wern't that hard to follow?"

"No." The purple cloaked theif smiled at her. "It needed little skill to stay hidden while following these brutes, though Master Lloyd believes it will take a greateramount of skill to kill off these bandits."

Leila frowned. Her contact noticed it, and asked a question. "What is wrong? Surely you do not care for these ban-."

The look that he recieved could have turned him to stone. The young woman then began speaking as if her body was taken over by some dark spirit, though the contact knew that if he spoke, she would cut out his tongue.

"The young man who uses the lance is not to be harmed. You can easily find him, as he is the only one who uses this type of weapon in the entire group, plus he wears a green cloak. Also he has," she stopped, as if to find the right words. Or rather, she already knew the right words, but chose different words instead. "He has information that I can still get that may be beneficial to the Fang." Her expression had lessened some, but the one in purple had chosen to be wise and mindful of what he just heard, and what he was going to say next.

"Very well. I will inform the White Wolf. The attack will begin in just under an hour." The contact turned to go to the way he had came, but looked to the spy one more time.

"There will be 11 trained men, along with the White Wolf who will be leading and initiating the attack. They all know of you, so stay close to the one you do not want killed, once the blood begins to spill."

Leila nodded, and headed back to her friend. There was to become another fight for survival, but one where it was her turn to protect the one that she cared about most in this situation. So she decided to do something about it.

(30 Minutes Later:)

I was practicing with my lance pretty hard. I had my two hands evenly spaced, and I was twirling my body around in a few spins, where if someone had might have tried to get pass me, they would have had to find another way. I would spin once, with a kick in-between, and then swing aroundanother vicious slash. I was getting better, but I was far from being an expert.

I was tiring some, as I did about an half hour of practice at least. I noticed Lisa was back, though I didn't know how long she was just sitting there, watching. Shesat on top of the old trunk that was near my tent.

"So, are you relieved?"

Smiling a little, she nodded some. "It felt good to-" "I don't need any details, thank you!" We both laughed.

"Where's Earl?" 'Since when does she care that much about Earl, other than at meal time?'

"He was out hunting, but should be back by now," I said. I turned my head to look for him out in the camp, but I didn't see the pot-belly anywhere. "Strange, he is usually back by now."

"Why not we go look for him, see if he needs any help bringing the meat back?

"You assume that he got some meat to lug back ... hehe." Earl was a good hunter, but there have been occasions where I went out helping him hunt before, and he couldn't hit the broadside of a fort with his arrows.

"Why not we go look for him? Hey Jayson, I'm going out to find Earl!" she shouted. This was not like Lisa, just to do something as soon as she thought about it. Something was up, but I was going to play my cards like it was a normal thing for her to be doing.

"Make sure you bring back the meat, er ... the tactician ..." The camp roared with laughter. I just blushed, and Lisa scowled some, but stillmanaged grabbed my collar and pulled me into the forest. It was the last time I would hear laughter like that, from most of the men. Hell, it would be the last time alot of them would get to laugh.

For about five minutes, I was being dragged into the trees, which was getting denser and denser every moment. I had to get my bearings, so I did the logical thing: shouting the name of the one dragging me out here.

"LISA!"

"Ahh! Oh ... sorry. When that idiot made that joke, I got really angry, and wanted to get out of that camp as soon as possible."

Rubbing my neck where she grabbed me, I believed her about the angry part. But wanting to find Earl, something was not right about that idea. So I was going to ask her about it. Though my gut instincts started to kick in, as this forest was way too quiet. No chirping from chipmunks, no humm or sounds of the birds, not even a rustle of leaves from the wind. We couldn't be that far into the woods, were we? No, something was definitely not right out here, whatever it was.

"You are alright though, aren't you? Paul?"

"Shh, not all is it as it seems," I said in a whisper. She nodded, and fell silent as the quietness of the trees engulfed us. I slowly looked around. She finally noticed my face, as it was one of concern and incertitude. I motioned towards a tree, as we both kept low to the ground as we proceeded towards it. There was a reason, as I noticed an orchid color on the ground.

Lisa had a strange look about her, like it was something that she did not expect to see on the other side. Especially when she saw something on the bark of the tree.

"What is it?" I asked in a whisper. "Nothing, ... it's nothing." I could tell she was not telling me everything. So I moved her aside, and looked myself.

It was a blood stain. But that wasn't all, as it lead to a larger trail of blood that eventually lead to another tree. Then I joined Lisa in being shocked, as what I had discovered made me very sick to my stomach. It was Earl, but he wasn't breathing. His body was sitting up and leaning against a tree, with his bow lying off to the side. There was blood coming down from his neck, and other vital areas in the upper torso, so I assumed that he was killed either by many men, or by a skilled killer. There was no way an animal could do this to him. When I went to check the body, I lifted the head up and sure enough, there was another deep gash. His face was contorted some, and showed signs of shock. From what, I didn't know.

Continuing to look, I checked into Earl's pockets, but whatever valuables that he had, were still with him. 'It wasn't a robbery, So that rules Lisa out. Well, from killing him anyway.' I looked back at her, only to find her not there. 'What is with that girl and dissappearing? I'll find her afterwards. Come on Earl, let me lie you down.'

So I did. I grabbed his shoulders, and laid the rest of the body down alongside the tree trunk in the grass. It wasn't easy though, as he was a big man. Risking some noise, I managed to do it. Closing his eyes next, I said a small makeshift prayer for him. I was no priest, but I felt like I should say something, so I paid my last respects to the former friend, and cook of the Taliver.

"Rest in peace, Earl. May you go to what ever after-life you believed in." I was kneeling when I said this, so when I looked up, I saw what was on the tree. An engraving of some sort. Whoever the killer or killers were, they also left their mark, as if to say it was their territory.

Though a dark realization started sinking in, as I had the inclination of not only seeing this mark before, but also felt that something very bad was about to happen. So bad, that the only thing worse was another Scouring. This mark was the same marking that was on the arrow that I kept from the scouting mission up north at the Ganelon village. But Ganelon's had a G for their mark, not something that looked like a fang. A fang? ...

'Oh shit. OH SHIT!' I screamed at myself for not realizing this in the first place. My next few moments in Bern were going to be very interesting indeed.

"Oh no. No, no, no, no, no. It can't be them ... Why did it have to be them!"

"As them, I guess you mean us? You were wise to lower your voice earlier, but shouting like this gives your position away."

I froze. I didn't move one inch of my body. The only thing moving was my chest from breathing, which wasn't much, and my eyes darting back and forth, looking for any sort of movement.

"Sir, what do we do with the girl?"

'They had Lisa. Looks like I had to take a chance on what I wasabout to do next ...'

"So that's why my friend went missing. Kidnapped by honorable assasins. Though kidnapping isn't exactly honorable." Silence. That got their attention. If there was one thing I knew about this organiztion, the commanders were supposed to honorable, or so the common-folk had always said.

A man stepped out from behind a tree. From his appearance, I could tell he looked to be about his mid-twenties to thirties, with blond hair, a light grey shirt, with brown pants and a grey swordfighter's robe. He looked incredibly focused, and had one hand in front where I could visibly see it, but the other behind him, out of sight. 'I guess that is where he is keeping his weapon.'

He spoke for the first time since he appeared. "Stand up boy, lets see who we are dealing with. But drop your sword."

I complied with first and second orders, though what he didn't know, or so I was hoping, was that he didn't see the slim lance I had behind me, hidden just inside my green cloak. Still, I had to be careful. Due to the trees, my lance was limited to thrusts, and blocks.My opponent looked me over, and then with a motioning with his eyes, another soldier appeared in the same line of sight as the first. This new guy had his weapon out too, so I guessed again that the blonde was the leader, and also gave the order to kill me.

Then there was a muffled scream. "No, get away from him!"

"Oww... hey get back here!"

What happened next was nothing short of frantic. Out of nowhere, I saw nothing but pink hair dive before me, then scrambling up off the groundand hugging my waist for dear life. I noticed before she grabbed me, that she had her shirt torn. My blood started to boil. 'One ofthem will die shortly.'

Whispering to her, "slowly move behind me. I have a surprise waiting for these men." Her look she had on her face was one of fright and panic. If I had to guess, the one who had been assigned to keep her quiet had also taken the opportunity to pleasure, himself. Disgusting bastard.

"Get the girl back." I didn't know where the blonde swordfighter went, but that was his voice. "Lieutenant, stay where you are and let the one who lost the girl, to retreive the girl. No one else move." Damn. There was more than one.

The one who had Lisa beforehand, advanced at an average rate, and what looked like to have a steel sword for a weapon. At least according to the weapon triangle, a lance was better in a fight against a sword.

'Just a little closer, that's all...' With a flick of the wrist, I pulled out my lance in a smooth motion, and managed to slash the arm of the man. He staggered back, and dropped his weapon.

"Ahh, so you are the young one who weilds the lance." I cocked an eyebrow. Somehow this guy knew I used this type of weapon. 'Had they been observing us ever since we entered Bern?' A very real possibility.

"A piece of advice my young friend. Leave Bern within the next few minutes, and you have a very good chance of living." Out of nowhere, I heard a slash from somewhere, or what sounded like a blade just cutting at air. The guy that attacked me earlier, was now beheaded.

"Your Black Fang right? Why kill one of your own men?"

"I watched your eyes when the girl came back to you. You got angry when you noticed her clothes were torn. You wanted to kill the one that was violating her, didn't you? There is no room in the Fang for rapists, so that's why I took his life, instead of you."

I nodded, but he continued with a little more. "If you were not a bandit, and especially not Taliver, I would have tried to recruit you into the Black Fang." I rolled my eyes. The leader came out from his cover and smirked. "You have less than ten minutes to get back to your camp and to take as many men with you as possible on your escape. Otherwise, blood will be spilled."

"Blood has already been spilled, but thank you for the opportunity." I bowed a little, though I never took my eyes off of him. I managed to pull Lisa off my waist and headed back the way I came.

Not even 30 seconds after I left the guy, that I lost any sort of track of him. "Damn, he's good. Come on, we got to get back to the men."

"You going to try and convince them to leave?"

"No, There is not enough time for that. I have to warn them and have a rag-tag defense set up. Only in the confusion, will some of us be able to leave un-noticed.

I saw the camp, and Groznyi. This wasabout theonly time that I was ever really glad to see him. He saw me coming, while noticing Lisa had some of her clothes ruffled and torn in certain spots.

"Well, well, you had your fun did you whelps?"

"Shut up and listen you idiot! We are about to be attacked. Get everyone ready!" Groznyi was dumbstruck. It wasn't hard to do that, but still it took some time for it to sink in, and time was one thing we did not have. But by then, I ran further into the camp.

"To Arms! We are about to be attacked. Archers, go to that little rise, and prepare for targets to be coming from the forest." Everyone either just woke up from resting, or stared at me. To prove my point, an arrow came within half a meter of where I was standing, and landed in a tree. Lisa was frightened to hell and back, while whoever else that was nearby, ducked and doved to the ground. I was the only one still standing.

"Whelp, get down!" I stood there shaking my head atGroznyi. "If they wanted to kill me, they would've did it already back in the woods. Where's Jayson?"

"Over here, I just woke up when you came barging in. So who are we up against? Ganelon's or Merc's?"

"Neither." There were confused faces all around me. My next answer cleared their confusion to fear, and some steaming with anger. "It's the Black Fang."

"Damnit!" Jayson bolted upright and started thinking a little. Then he spoke once again.

"Alright, the only way for the Taliver Bandits to survive is for some of us to retreat, while the rest fights. That will buy the retreating forces time, to get away."

"What do you suggest? If we hold our ground, we might have a chance to-" "You are a good apprentice for a tactician boy, but you'll have to learn from somewhere elseother than Bern." It was my time to give a confused look.

"You, the girl, and about 10 of the men will be going with Groznyi, back up north. It's the quickest route out of Bern and out of this god-forsaken place. After the archers release two volleys of arrows for cover fire, myself, and twenty others will charge the Fang. Those numbers should keep those bastards busy. While eventually heading back to the mountains in the west of the plains, try to recruit new members on the way. Take care of yourself kid."

Jayson then went to round up most of the men, while Lisa was packing up my tent. She passed my satchel and bag to me, while she had her bag near her as well. I could tell from looking at mine and her stuff, that she was in a true panic, as things were tossed about in an un-organized way. But that was okay. What wasn't okay, was the shaking that was going through Lisa's body. I grabbed her shoulders, frightening her, but I had to do it. "Your turn to alm down. We'll get out of this. Come on, let's wait behind the archer positions."

I heard swords and axes clashing as the arrows were flying through the air. The front line defenders who had the axes didn't have a chance, but they brought into the open the Fang members who were fighting them. The first volley didnt hit, but a couple arrows in the second volley did.

"Lets go!" I ordered to the archers, and they left after Groznyi's group. I then used my lance in the air, waving the signal to Jayson. All I heard when I turned my back to go after the retreating group myself, was a 'Charge,' along with some battle cries. That was the last time I ever saw or heard Jayson.

We were close to the border. Groznyi was now the un-official leader of the Taliver, but I knew that him, and everyone else wanted to take a break. I objected to that idea, and almost lost my life over it, but reasoned that it would just give time for the Black Fang to catch up to us. So until we crossed the border into Sacae, we all kept to ourselves. The only noise was from the shuffling of tired feet heading north.

After we crossed the border, Groznyi confered with me, that we were to head back West. I agreed with that, as that was where our trip had begun in the first place. It would also be where, my life would take another dramatic turn of events. I didn't even know at this point that it would be worse than anything I had experienced so far.

Of course, in our retreat back to the West, we hit a snag when the group was one days walk away from just getting through the Sacae and Bern border. A single swordsman appeared out of nowhere, who appeared to be training. He had long black hair, with some of it covering his face as it swayed in the wind, and his clothes were of a Sacean plainsman, though there was nothing plain about this swordfighter. Groznyi was watching him from a distance, as was I and Lisa. But the some of the men wanted to attack him.

"Your choice," I said. 'Though, there is something familiar about this plainsman.' The way this guy moved the sword, and the location of where we were, helped me come to the conclusion that we just encountered someone more infamous than the Taliver. As hard as that was to believe, it was true.

"I wish you men luck against The Sword Demon," I shouted. The men stopped instantly in their tracks. They were still facing forward, but their legs were beginning to shake, and frantically too. Lisa, Groznyi, and whatever survivors that we had, looked to me, and the man, who I now believed to be weilding either a Killing Edge, or a Wo Dao, which were very powerful and rare weapons in their own right, stopped training just at that moment. The swordsman then looked straight into my eyes, and mine into his. I was staring into the face of demonized death right then and there.

As if to prove my theory, this sword fighter swiped his sword in a motion that was nothing short of a blur. Pointing his sword downward towards the ground when he finally halted his movements, he ended his practice with the sword in my direction. It was a little disconcerting.

"How do you know he is the infamous Sword Demon, whelp?" asked Groznyi. 'He still didn't believe me after just seeing that? Use that thing you call a brain, you green-hair idiot!' I spoke without turning my head to respond. There was no way I was going to take my eyes off of this warrior.

"Long black hair, clothes of a Sacaean Plainsman, a fighting techinque that only an expert swordsman would know, and an apprentice tactician would recognize. Even has a very rare weapon in his hands, Groznyi. I respectively suggest stopping here, going back a distance, and taking another route back West."

All the while I was talking, I was taking my lance out, while Lisa had her sword ready, and the survivors of our troop were readying their axes and arrows. "Do not attack him," I said, with mine and the Demon's eyes still locked. "If we back up and stay in a defensive stance, we should be okay." 'Those eyes seem so cold, but focused like nothing I've ever seen before. I wonder what his story is to make him like this.'

"A'ight, you heard our advisor. Lets go back about a thousand paces, and try another path. I'll lead," yelled Groznyi. Everyone started following our new leader, whileall falling back in a defensive stance, including the guys that wanted to attack. 'Cowards.'

"Paul, will you bring up the rear, and make sure the Demon doesn't follow us?"

"Yeah, sure Groznyi," I shouted back.

I took my gaze from the swordsman, and turned to Lisa. "Go with the others, I'll join you shortly."

"You can't be serious! You'll never survive against him-" I waved her sentence off with calmness, but deep down inside, I was trembling. There had been dark stories that no-one has ever survived an encounter with this guy. But I tried to calm down Lisa all the same.

"Rumor has it, that the Sword Demon will only challenge fighters who are of equal skill to him."

This is when the Demon spoke for the first time since we encountered him. "You need ... to become stronger, young one." Lisa jumped from the sound of his voice, as it was both calm, but cold. Myself, I just flinched. As we both looked back at him, the swordsman continued. "Train hard ... with your weapon. We will meet again ... and then ..."

I finished the sentence for him ...

"We will see."

He nodded once slowly. Then with amazing speed, he ran North, deeper into Sacae. He was gone as swiftly as he had appeared.

"What a strange man," said Lisa. I then turned and we both started off trying to find the group. "Strange got nothing on that infamous swordfighter. Come on, lets find the men and finally get away from Bern."

(A/N: R&R. Constructive critism welcomed. Flames will be disregarded.)

-Tactician from the NorthEast