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

(A/N:It has been too long for me not to update, so I apologize to my reader's and reviwer's, for not putting this out sooner.Also, with the homepage of Fanfiction dot Net, explaining that Reviewer Responses, are no longer allowed,I'll be following the rules so my story does not get deleted. If you want me to answer your review, say so in the review.)

(A/N: Seeing that it was Christmas, I decided to post this chapter as a gift. Be safe out there, fellow readers and writers, and have a Merry Christmas.)

Chapter Rating: M

Chapter 6: Sanity On Edge

According to my map, we had travelled from Bern all the way to the mountain range in Southern Sacae. According to my calculations, our group was exactly 15 days walk from Araphen, and 15 days away from Bulgar just to the Northeast. With nothing but grasslands to the north,ariverin the south, and mountains to the east and west.

We managed to locate an abandoned fort. If I had to guess, it was probably left over from the first scouring, by looking at the condition of the stone walls. Now it was clear of troops belonging to any marquess, but that didn't mean there wasn't anyone still there.

Rumors had spread ahead of time that the Taliver suffered a major defeat in Bern, and these rumors even met the ears of rogue bandits wanting to join into a bandit clan. Not to mention this group that lay before us.

They looked like they had about ten men with axes, one with an bow, and what looked like to be two magic users. That's something you don't see every day. Then again, you don't fight an organization like the Black Fang every day either.

We were not looking for a fight, but myself, Groznyi, Lisa and our other survivors had our weapons drawn. There was no way we were going into unfamiliar territory without caution this time.

"Whelp, try to find the leader."

"Why me? Your the guy in charge."

"And as the new boss, I'm giving you an order to go through the camp and look for him." I looked over the camp. They were beginning to notice us out here in the trees, just about 200 paces away.

"I am not going in there without someone coming with me." I figured if I could start another agrument with Groznyi, I could get the leader to come out on his own. If nothing else, just so to tell us to shut up. That, was something I would love to tell Groznyi.

Groznyi was getting annoyed. "Your going in there, even if I have to throw your ass in there!"

"Last time I checked, I was the one who gave you that black eye that your just getting healed, so trying to throw me might be a bad idea!" My voice was getting louder, just like Groznyi's. So I winked at him. Groznyi was about to begin again when he caught the wink, and actually thought about what we were doing. He nodded, so spoke even louder, as he got the message ... this time around.

"You expect to believe I won't actually do it, do you? Just you-"

"What in hell under mother earth is going on out here!"

My plan worked. Our group was concentrated behind us while me and Groznyi was arguing, and as the noise level was getting so loud, all the occupants of the old fort had come to within 20 paces of our position. Including the leader. He was as big as Groznyi, but had blonde hair that was cropped off short, had a axe in one of his hands, and using his other hand to cover one of his ears. He also had a dirty green headband on his forehead.

"You don't look like peasants that we could maim, kill, or pillage, so who in all of Father Sky are you?"

'At least we got his attention. Now let's see if we can recruit him and his buddies before a fight comes about.' Trying to avoid a fight between two bandits clans,is like trying to escape a charging horse.Easier said than done.

With Jayson's last will and testament, if you can call it that, was to gain members back into the Taliver. Well somehow, we had to find a way to do that. The reputation that automatically goes with the Taliver, was one of the things we still going for us. Probably the only thing we had.

Lisa looked to me, while at the same time moving right behind me, so as not to be noticed. I looked to Groznyi for the first time since I could remember. While Groznyi looked at the guy who spoke to us in the first place. Everyone was looking at someone.

"I'm Groznyi, and we are the Taliver." Groznyi might as well as tried to tell a joke, because the brute and his gang started laughing.The green-haired onelooked at the ground, then to me. Shaking my head at him, I nudged him along in a whisper.

"Show them your mark on your arm."

"Oh yeah." I rolled my eyes. 'Think you dolt!'

"You laughing curs! Maybe this will make you believe us." Groznyi pulled up hissleeveon his rightarm, and showed everyone his mark. Catching a glance of Groznyi's T, it looked like it wasn't much of an imprint. More like just a marking from some tar. But, this wasn't the time to pry into an already delicate situation.

"Hmm. Alright, maybe your Taliver, maybe not. But what do you want with us? We got no beef with you?"

As long as Groznyi didn't screw this up, then maybe these damned curs could be the next recruits in the Taliver Bandit Clan. Just what I wanted to do. Like my conscience needed something else to despair about.

"You and your crew laughed at us before right? Well, we thought about laughing at you too. That's exactly what everyone else will do to us too, if you don't do what I'm offering. As a larger group of bandits, no one in the North will be able to stop us."

"Your group and ours, to join forces? Hmm, interesting proposition." Batta had the look about him that he was thinking, but somehow, I knew there was going to be some kind of catch. That catch was someone with pink hair. I saw him and the rest of his gang eyeing her hard, ever since we were noticed.

"We will join only if we get half of everything we steal, including the women. That also means that bitch you have there." Pointing to Lisa, who at the moment was somewhat behind me.

Groznyi looked to me, as if to say, your turn. Now it was my chance to screw it up.

"We don't care if you want half of the spoils, every time we raid, but you aint getting this bitch. She's mine. If you don't believe me, ask any one of these brutes, and they'll tell you the story where I brutally killed the guy who thought he could get her."

"That true?" asked the yellor-haired man. I really hoped he had a name, as I didn't want to keep calling him that.

"True as your fat ass."

"HEY BOYS! We're now part of the Taliver." Shouts of joy and glee could be heard all around, even a couple mumbles. A few woo's too, but they ended when Lisa's weapon as well as my glare appeared. So for now, an uneasy sense of security had been made, but it would be only a matter of time before someone were to make a move against me or the girl, and I was going to be ready for it.

(30 Minutes Later:)

For a while, it was accepted by the gossip around the campfire, that what happened in eastern Bern, happened because the Black Fang had superior tactics, and skill. Though undoubtly true, they also had to have known that bandits were roaming the northern territories, or they would not have been so prepared. Right?

But something kept mulling over in my mind. How in all of Elibe did a Black Fang commander know I was the only member of the Taliver Bandits to use a Lance for a weapon? More importantly, how did he know I was in the forest in the first place, before I noticed Earl's body? That was too eerie. Or was there more going on than what was apparent ...?

An organization like this group is similar to any other government throughout Elibe. They were sure to have their lookouts, border patrols, spies, informants, and colaborators ... Wait a minute. Wait a damn minute! The Fang must have had been spying on us ever since we entered Bern. But not to attack at first sight, that was strange. Maybe even a coincidence. Though for this kind of an organiztion, having a coincidence was like having snow in a summer in Lycia. There were no coincidences with the Black Fang. They had to have an informant in with this group of bandits. But who?

I knew it wasn't me, as my first encounter was in Bern. Most of the potential informants were killed or went missing since the ambush, so who could it be? Who would be able to be a spy for the Black Fang, and still be alive after all this time? Looking around the campfire, I started my personal investigation.

There was Groznyi, cleaning his axe, looking like he was a quiet man, but I knew better. So it couldn't be him. I would have noticed something even when we were still in Ilia. There was now a guy named Batta, was on the other side of him, still trying to decide whether we were actually Taliver or not. I heard his reputation was a brutal one, where he was just like an animal, or so the stories go. His men called him The Beast, whenever they were in combat. Absolutely ferocious with the axe in battle, but was the same way with treating villagers, peasants, and especially tribesmen. This was why Batta and his men had always stayed near Sacae for their raids. There were alot of easy targets. So, Batta was out, as he was a brutal bandit to the core. But let's see, who else was there that was able to stay alive for so long and not arouse suspician? Earl wasn't it, since he was dead. Jayson was also out. But other than me, the only one that was left and had the opportunity to initiate any contact, the only one that had any motive to do so, the only one that came to mind ... was Lisa.

Looking at her near my tent, she was rummaging through her things, looking for something warm probably, as being up in the mountains in the colder air would make anyone shiver. Originating from Ilia, I was used to the colder temperatures. Besides, the heat of curiousity and suspician kept me going right now.

Thinking now, about how I first met the damsel in distress, her actions, her questions, even the strange twist of fate when I had to defend her against that sick bastard, Sid, well anyone would do that. Of course, my mind raced ahead to a conclusion, before I could make a reasonable assumption. But something told me that even whenconsidering everything that hadhappened, that Lisa was somehow involved.

But was meeting her part of my fate, like Lisa had previously mentioned, or was it all just a plan of the Black Fang's creation? The Fang were certaintly able to come up with some deceptions, as was evident already. So something like this was quite plausable.

Thinking with this new idea that began forming in my head was simply outrageous, so I tried to dismiss it. Something kept nagging at me though, and the more I thought about how all the things that had happened in the past few months, the more that it seemed to take shape. Strangely, it even made a twisted sort of sense.

Let's see, first there was the attack on the village up north near Ilian border, where we, or rather I, thought we were attacking Ganelon's, but there were far fewer bandit defenders than I originally scouted. Even before the attack began, I was scouting the terrain when the arrows started flying. Not bandit arrows either, mind you. No, this type were hand-crafted with the strange engraving. This engraving was hard to pick out at first, but now seeing what the Fang's crest was back in Bern, that arrow proved that they were there in Ilia, waiting.

Waiting for what though? What was their goal to be so far up north? To reduce the threat of bandits so far outside of Bern's borders didn't make sense. So what was it? Did the Ganelon's move too far into Bern raiding the local villages? Something just didn't add up. But there were more things to consider, than trying to figure out what the greedy Ganelon's did to make the Black Fang come after them that far North.

Next, was finding Lisa in that Armory. Was it chance just to have to defend her like that, from Sid? Probably. Even I couldn't guess that was going to happen. But was Lisa's presence, mere coincidence? Was she just passing through in that village as well, looking for supplies while the bandits attacked? Seemed awfully coincidental, still it was another clue. Another piece that was part of a bigger picture that I did not even begin to understand. The thing that felt so strange, was that it all pointed in Lisa's direction. So what the hell was really going on?

I didn't want to continue, but what little conscience I had left, wouldn't let me rest. It kept telling me to find out what I wanted to know. It probably would be the only way my mind will let me be anyway.

My only remaining friend, yet she was the only suspect. 'What is your true history, little girl?'

When we left for Bern the day after that attack, it led to our journey, and the remembrance of our deal to tell some information about each other. The actual travel wasn't what was strange. It was when I asked her my question when starting to practice with my lance that she seemed out of place, or at the very least, caught off guard about ... something. Now to me, Bern gave me the alot of unease. My nervousness was proved to be well worth the agony it caused, as what just happened a few months ago even shook me up some.
To be ambushed like that, and lose over half of your company, it was not something to forget easily, bandits or not. I grimaced. Jayson might have been a pain in the ass, but he was still a comrade. Most of the men liked him too, so morale also took a hit that day.

Oh, and the last little important bit of information: The mentioning of wanting to find Earl, and the finding of his dead body.

This evetually lead to Lisa's own dissappearance. Which lead to the introduction of the swordmaster who had a greater amount of skill with his blade alone, than what the total skill was in our current group. A most dangerous enemy indeed, if I am ever to come across him again. This eventually lead to his statement about knowing my choice of weapon, and letting me live. I was grateful of course, but curious all the same.

Rumours abound among the commonfolk, about this little detail. The info they contained that one bandit was let go, because he gave the Black Fang information. Strange, no? I know it was just a rumor, but if not proven otherwise, one would think that person was me. Of course, knowing full well that that wasn't true, there was only one person left who could have given information to the Black Fang.

So I figured it was high time I got some real information, but I needed to find a way to get her from the camp to do it. I must be careful, as she might become suspicious of my intentions. Then again, my mind screamed at me to interrogate her with extreme predjudice. Luckily, I was still sane. For now...

These new guys were creeping me out. No really, they were. Half of them didn't know what a tactician was, and the ones that did know, well they didn't think that someone as young as I was could ever be helpful in battle. I had come to know this as the accepted way of thinking of these guys.

Whenever I looked at one, or walked past, I would either get glares, insults, or some laughing come into my direction. I couldn't take much more, and when another of the new guys started again, I almost impaled him with my lance. That action came close to an all out brawl. So I decided to take a break from these idiots, and Lisa was coming with me, whether they wanted her to or not, and whether she wanted to or not.

"Hey Groznyi. I'm going north for a few hours, to clear my head."

"Yeah, go up there, so you can leave your girlie with us. Haha HAHAHA!"

The brute that said this was just to my left, and was about to grab after Lisa, who was just to the right a ways, when I drew my sword, and slashed his arm off.

"That's the last time anyone threatens me, or tries to touch my woman!"

The cries of the now,mutilated man could be heard all throughout the camp. Looking to Lisa, I saw fear in her eyes, but she quickly turned away. Groznyi looked at the severed limb on the ground, all bloody and shaking from the nerves, and puked to the side. I just shook my head and packed up one satchel. It contained two vulneraries, a canteen of water, and one torch.My slim lance was on my back. You don't use a lance against axemen, so thats why I had my iron sword out. But all of a sudden, I heard someone come through the bushes with heavy footsteps from behind me.

"Fair 'nuff, kid. I'm guessin' that ambush from the Fang has made you edgier than even you thought."

Looking behind me, here was Batta looking down with a sort of judgement in his eyes. 'Concern, from a bandit? That's a new one.'

"There is a small path that me and my men use to go north into Sacae to pillage those tribal bastards. It's just 300 paces east of the trees. It's about four hours till dark, so be back before then."

Placing my blade back inside its sheath, I looked at him with curiously. "Kind of strange, hearing helpful information from you, Batta. You feeling alright?"

"Hmmph.Better than what that guy is feeling right now.Look boy, get out of here, before the men try to kill you. They should be cooled off by the time you get back."

I nodded, and looked for Lisa, who in the meantime, had her cloak held tighter around her. She was still brandishing her blade as she jogged away from three who looked like they were going to jump her. Although, those were shocked as to what happened, when they saw their comrade's arm come off, and just stood there.

"Come on. The walking should help you warm up some."

"I hope so. Is this what Ilia is like, with cold wind always whipping at you?"

"Sometimes its worse. Especially when the snow hits." 'Or when your being lied to.'

The trail which lead throught the mountains, was a little wider than I thought, but no less dangerous. I had to constantly keep an eye out for the falling rocks, with the occasional bird swooping down. But thinking of danger, the girl following behind me was something I had to keep an eye on too. Not so much when on the mountain trail, but once down and out of the mountains, it was going to be a different story.
The fire that I had made wasn't a big one, but it gave off heat, and light which helped to illuminate Lisa's face. The shape of her body made a silhouette on the grassy clearing that the two of us were located in. With her brown leather boots, coming up to her kneecaps, there was a small patch of skin on both legs that showed visible to anyone who dared to look. Forget the dare, I already looked. It was appealing, but I had other things on my mind. Working the way up, there was her brown skirt, which was also appeared to be leather, but strong and flexible enough to move or fight when needed.

Huddled around the fire, tossing in a piece of wood every so often, just to keep the flames going. She held her yellow cape very close to her, covering up her internal clothes.

Myself, I just stuck my lance into the ground. The top end was the handle which was slightly top heavy, so when the wind threw a gust, my weapon bent some. Noticing some areas were more worn than other, I knew that my slim lance was not going to last any more than one or two more scrapes.

Now tightening my own cloak around me, I tossed my small bag of medicinal idgredients down by a tree, and unsheathed my iron sword. Sharp as the blade was, it was not as good a condition as I hoped. Taking a look down the sword, there were a few nicks and scratches. These minor defects proved that I was not a swordsman by trade. Though it should prove good for what I was about to do.

The wind wasn't so much down in the lower elevation, but it was still cold. Having a little amount of coffee, along with a sovenir tea kettle from the late Earl in my rucsack, I placed it in along with some snow. As soon as it melted and boiled, it would be good for the coffee. But this process would take time, which is exactly what I needed for my little 'interview.'

At the moment, I was just to the side, near a group of young trees, currently contemplating on what question to ask 'Lisa,' first. Knowing she would play dumb, the key to distinguishing if she was telling the truth or not was the reactions to my accusations. Here I go ...

"So Lisa, if that is your real name, who do you really work for?" She looked up with a very questioning look, but it was her eyes, and when she opened her mouth thatshe studdered in her reply.

"What do... er, are you ... talking about? I'm ... not working for ...anyone." She still warmed her hands, but she started eyeing the placement of my hands on my own sword. Very closely, if I might add.

"You know damn well what the hell I mean! I know it was possible for the Fang to spy on us as we went into Bern, but for you to suddenly go looking for Earl, right out of the blue, no there is more to you than your telling me."

She didn't have her eyes on my face. No, she was afraid now. Lisa kept looking at my weapon. Especially when, I stood up. In doing so, she then looked up at me, and fear was written all over her face. Jumping up, drawing her sword, and going into a combat stance, I knew I was on the right track. Now to get the specifics.

"I'm telling you one time, Paul, I don't know what you are talking about!"

"If you don't know what I'm talking about, then why are you so worried and prepared to fight!" I shouted at her. "Tell me, did you really think that I wouldn't put one and one together?"

She didn't say anything, other than to raise an eyebrow. Continuing on, I was all too happy to indulge her.

"You said that you were just in that village up at Ilia, looking for supplies. That village was being defended by the Black Fang wasn't it? So what happened? Did the White Wolf catch the Ganelons in the act of attacking that village?"

I could only guess what was going on insided her head, but on her face, I thought I saw a grin appear.

Pointing the tip of my weapon towards her, I rambled on. "Of course, if that is true, then that means your Black Fang too."

Taking a breath, I continued. "So tell me, Lisa, how long have you been informing the Black Fang on the activities of the Taliver? Of ME!" I was steaming mad now. Never thought I would be so angry at her, of all people. Now in a combat stance myself, this wasn't going to be a regular sparring match.

Lisa crooked her head to the side slightly, like she was expecting more. There wasn't anymore, was there?

"Not bad for putting one and one together. But I was hoping for two and two to go together instead. You should've figured out more than that, Paul."

Say what? There was more?

Now with my own quizzical look, I eyed her carefully. She still had secrets to be gleamed yet. Cute, and I don't mean that for her features either. But I had one more trump card up my sleeve yet. I just hoped that she never saw through it.

"Who's to say that I haven't?"

That shut her up. So much so, that she started attacking me. Lisa swung her sword down in a slash, but I quickly backstepped, and blocked her attack. She kept swinging it from the right, and we spinned around a few times, with the sounds of swords clashing throughout the pasture. We both ended up so that we were staring at each other from our opposite starting positions.

Her breathing had become heavier, but so was mine. Probably a little bit more than her. I was a taller person than Lisa, but I was also using a iron sword and not so adept at a blade. The missy, was using a shortersteel sword,withthe smaller size helping her to be more nimble.

"I see that your tiring from our fight. Don't like the sword do you?"

"As I'm sure that a spy like you already know, that I prefer to use a lance, but that would put you at a disadvantage. Unlike the rest of those idiot's, I like to fight fair."

"One fact that you do have right, young man, is that I am a spy. However, I see no point in telling you more if you won't attack me. Frankly, I expected a little more skill from you and your information gathering."

Cocky little bitch. She didn't realize that my staff was close. So close, I made a grab for it, while tossing down my dull blade, near the fire. Speaking of, the coffee was almost done. I had to do this fast, if we were going to enjoy it. Yes, I mean we. I was out for information, not blood, or so I thought.

As soon as my hands touched my slim lance, Lisacharged right at me. Pulling my lance out of the ground, I spinned in a circle three times. So not only parrying her thrust, the blade came out of her hands, landing too far for her to make a grasp for it.

"I've never seen anyone pull something like that move off before! You looked like you had training with that lance!" gasped Lisa. She was slowly backing up away from me.And I was now slowly advancing towards her with malicous intent.

"One thing that I didn't tell you little vixen, and something that should have registered a couple months ago, was that I indeedhada year's worth ofweapon's training.Trainingthatcamefrom the Western Isle's!"

Her face went white. Most likelyfrom fear mixed with astonishment. Anyone with any sort of knowledge or sense, whether it was the commonfolk in a village, or the ruling council of a city,that if someone living on the main Continent of Elibe had training from the Western Iles, that they were adangerous opponent. So much so, that the only people allowed to train in that type of fighting, were students under the famed Mage General of Etruia. Those fortunate enough to succeed in the training, would be classed as certified fighters, no matter what profession they took on.

"So, what now? What do you intend to do with me?" I stepped forward fast enough, so that Lisa was pushed on her back. She landed with a thud. Too badI wasn't in the mood for concern. Kneeling down just to her side, my lance tipwas at her neck in a heartbeat, pressing down on her soft skin.Now was the time for the truth. Though there was still the inkling of feeling that I didn't really think of all the possible possibilities of what I might hear.

"Information is what I'm looking for, my dear. So let's get one thing straight." Pushing down on the lance to get my point across, no pun intended, just so the little female spy knew I wasn't kidding, Istated further. "I'll be asking the questions, and you, answering them. Got it?"

Lisa nodded yesvery much so.

"First, who do you truly work for?"

Her eyes showed determination, but for what, I wasn't sure. Finally, after a minute had gone by, she responded. "After all this, 'discussion,' you still think that I'm something other than Black Fang? What are you thinking?"

"I'm not sure what to think right now, but I do know, you better start telling me some answers."

Seeing that she wasn't going anywhere soon, especially lying on her back with a sharp instrument right at her throat, Lisa seemed to be contemplating what her options were. If I were to guess, she only had one.Though, that was just me.

Slowly flicking a couple strands out of her face, rubbing the back of her head with her other hand, and taking a deep breath, she started speaking.

"What I said before, with being born in the south, in Lycia was true. After graduating regular school, I was put through special classes, funded by the Ostian spy council, andstarted working for Ostia,since Ostia was the prime leader in recruiting young, smart, and resourcful individuals for use in its spy network on all of Elibe. So when I was near completion of my time in this venture, a group of bandits in the north were making noise. It was suspected that they might have had someone leading their attacks, so the Marquess wanted to keep an eye on this group."

It was my time to look astonished. Slowly I retracted my lance from her skin, and backed up some, so that I could then sit on a rock, about 10-15 paces away. Lisa sat up and rubbed her neck some, thenwrapped her cloak around her, and went to the fire. There was a sense of foreboding in the air from her. It promised of more than the make-shift story that Lisa had so far given me. The wind kept on blowing, but at the moment, it wasn't the weather that chilled my spine. It was the now realization that I was not just some simple man from Ilia, that important people in the south were curious about. Lisa continued.

"I was sure that you were my assignment, when you came into the armory on the Ilian border. I was very curious, just like the Marquess, why you, a young man like yourself, would end up with criminals and brigands such as those in the Taliver. Surely there must have been a way to avoid joining them."

I was quiet and to myself while she was speaking. I couldn't quite comprehend that I was consider a threat by a Marquess. Not only that, but the Marquess of Ostia! I guess Lisa broke a few laws put forth by her espionage teacher right about now. One, interacting with her assignment, namely me. Two, disclosing details of her mission, that she was here to spy on my movement, behaviour, and activities.

I looked down, and pulled my knees closer to my chest, with my lance across my legs. I felt so ashamed. Here I was, in the wilderness, attacking a girl, demanding information, like some bandit razing a villager's home demanding valuables. The dark realization finally came to me. Other than myself, I was fooling no one. I was, a bandit.

"Want some coffee?" Looking up, I saw a hand outstretched with a cup of steaming liquid in my direction. I stayed silent, only to get another look of concern from her.

"After what I just did to you, the accusations, the argument, the fight, everything? You still going to give me some courtesy? I don't deserve, that Lisa. I don't deserve anything," I said, with the last sentence under my breath.

"I won't forgive you right away, but I will forgive you. Besides, its cold, you'll need your strength to make an escape during the next battle." I looked at her like she had two heads.

"Don't look at me like that," shereplied in between takingsome of her ownsips. "You and I both know, this is not the life for someone like you. I'm sure you can still remember what I said to you. I still believe that St. Elimine has a path greater than what you have witnessed and lived so far."

"What about your path?" I asked.

Seems I caught her off gaurd ... again. I have a strange knack for doing that,I think. Maybe, that was just with her, but I wasn't sure.

"My path?"

I nodded. "Yeah, your path. Your destiny. Don't you ever wonder sometimes, that maybe this isn't the life for you? Or do you really like the danger, and intrigue that is with the life of espionage?"

"Hmm, it seems that I do, but I must always keep my gaurd up, like you should."

"Oh really?"

"Really," she said playfully, as she outstretched one or her sleekhands, revealing a money bag. Looking to my waist,what little money I had, was not there anymore. She might not be the best fighter, but she was quick with her hands, that I had to give her credit for.

"Care to toss it back?"

"Sure."

That was too easy. Of course, when I caught it, it was also lighter than it should have been. Grinning, I pocketed what money I had left.

"Don't want your change back?"

"Keep it as compensation for my behaviour towards you earlier. Besides, we need to drink up. We only got an hour before nightfall, and we need to get pass the mountain trail.

"Not yet. I need to discuss something with you. During the day, I heard some of the new men, and the way they were talking.Theyare going to attack a tribe of Saceans, only two days away. During this battle Paul, you must take that opportunity during the confusion of battle, to dissappear. To leave. Just get away."

"What about you? Don't tell me your staying with them? That'll be suicide."

Looking at me with a wry smile, she replied. "I knew you were not a bandit at heart. Or you wouldn't be concerned for my well-being."

Laughing, I gave my reply. "Well, let's just say, I don't want to see a young woman get killed. So, how do you intend to avoid the rape of all 20 members inour newgroup, and not getbrutally killed in the process?"

She smiled at me again. "Trade secrets, my friend."

Clouds were starting to form on the mountain top area, overlooking the small clearing. The wind started to howl among the peaks, with the occasional snow drift blowing through at the higher elevations. But the snow wasn't the only thing that the wind was blowing. Because there was a blue Sacean robe also being blown about, along with the long black hair. Though the one wearing it did not care for the wind or coldness, especially with a soul as cold and devoid as the one that this man had. He was only concerned with the fighting style and talent of the one using the lance, so far down below.

'Training from the West ... Hmm. Given time ... and he should be ... worthy.'

With that, the swordsman with the long hair waving in the wind left his snow top perch, searching for worthy warriors once again.

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

-Tactician from the NorthEast