BloodyCrystal: Sorry about the late update, but last week was finals, so I don't feel too guilty. It's my summer vacation right now, but that means less updates not more; I go to computer-less camps A LOT. I'll update when I can, but it'll be with more time in between updates, not less. Sorry, but I LIKE the camps I'm going to, so I'm not going to say, "I won't go, because I have to do fanfiction!" Sorry, but my life doesn't work like that. So, sit back, relax, and enjoy the chapters as they come.

Disclaimer: I only own Lani/Lanari, the main bad guy, Jekran and his Jackals, Nadi, and the pasts for real characters that I choose to make up.

Ch. 3: Reunite

Lani looked up as Eliwood entered the tent she shared with Heath. Eliwood glanced around, surprised at the clutter. Books and papers formed messy piles of varying heights, and the two cots-pushed together-were covered in a tangle of blankets and pillows. The desk that Lani was sitting at had maps, journals, quill pens, and sealed ink bottles scattered across its surface. Eliwood raised an eyebrow. "I thought you and Heath were neat and tidy. Looks like I'll have to revise my opinion of you two, Lani."

The Tactician wrinkled her nose at him in mock anger/disgust. "At least have the decency to wash up before coming in here and getting blood, dirt, and other paraphernalia on my maps, milord Eliwood," she scolded, moving a pile of papers off a nearby seat.

Eliwood sat down gingerly, arranging himself in such a way that the chair and the various objects near it didn't get blood on them. "How can you tell what is and isn't a map in this clutter, Lani?" At her indignant expression, he chuckled quietly.

"What do you want, milord?" she sighed. "Right after a battle-before your shower, no less-means business. I should hope I know that after several years."

Eliwood laughed again, louder this time, impressed by Lani's skills at observation. "Unfortunately, Lani, you're right; this is business. Fiora was doing a flyover of the battle-like you suggested-and-with Farina and Florina-she caught the leader of that particular group."

Lani eyed him, an unreadable expression on her slightly triangular face. Eliwood would've given quite a bit of gold to know what was on the young Tactician's mind at that moment. "And you want me to do what, exactly?" she finally asked.

"You could probably tell us this man's rank, and your observations of his interrogation would be most welcome," Eliwood said, careful to keep his voice neutral.

Lani looked at him for a couple of seconds. Evidently, she saw whatever she had been searching for, because she nodded decisively. "All right, I'll go. Give me five minutes to get to-?"

"-to the command tent," Eliwood said, with ill-disguised relief. Lani was good at catching things others missed, so she would give them an advantage in the interrogation that was about to take place. "I'll see you in five minutes, Lani."

He scowled at them, mentally cursing everything about these would-be fighters. They didn't act, look, or even think like fighters should! They didn't read up on him and his Jackals; if they had, they would've known that he was Jekran, not some regular idiot. It was a basic rule to know your enemy, and these green, wet-behind-the-ears upstarts didn't even know to do that! He would enjoy crushing every last one of them with well-placed blows to their "morals."

He watched as their so-called leader re-entered the tent. Far too open and he cares for his enemies. What a twit! He turned his attention to the other leaders. The Sacaen has way too many morals, and they conflict with each other. The blue bear-lord may think he's deceiving someone with that attitude, but it's obvious how much he cares for those other two. And the Etrurians! All style, no real fighting power. They care for their land too much, just like all other Etrurians. They don't realize that it's people not land that makes something; land changes, people don't. Fools, all of them.

Three minutes later, a familiar-looking female figure entered, sitting down in the empty seat. She glanced at him, started, and stared harder. She nodded, as if confirming something she expected. She glared at him, and he knew why. After all, she was Back Fang, his mortal enemies. But if he knew her, then she'd have to be pretty high up. What was her name?

A Black Fang member-high-ranking-with red eyes...Who could she be? Lanari, his mind whispered. Ah! Lanari, the prodigal Tactician, pet of Linus and that bastard Lloyd!

Who could she be? his mind whispered.

"He's Jekran," she told the others bluntly, voice flat with no inflection.

"He's Jekran?" the hulking, blue-haired lordling growled.

Lanari merely nodded, her face still leveled at Jekran, glaring daggers into him. If looks could kill, a pair of wine-red eyes would've killed Jekran a thousand times over.

Jekran decided to mock the girl, knowing that he had nothing to lose. Besides, he would love to annoy Lloyd's...pet. "Given up your old masters, pet?" he sneered. Lanari flushed, her face burning a brilliant crimson red. "I didn't realize your mammy raised such a traitor." He took delight in her face attempting to turn the color of new-spilled blood.

"Lani?" the red-haired leader asked. "What's he talking about?"

Jekran raised an eyebrow. Oh, this would do. Making Lloyd's "pet" suffer was almost as good as having the bastard in his clutches. "Didn't you tell any of your new friends the truth?" At her poisonous glare, he chuckled darkly. "I take it you didn't. Such a bad pet, to not tell you new masters anything about the old ones. For that matter, I heard tell that you fought and killed your old masters. Is that true? Did you really do my dirty work for me?" Her deepening flush and the suspicious glimmer in her eyes revealed the truth. "You did! How delightfully problematic."

He watched with new-found delight as her facial color alternated between brilliant crimson and pale white. If he was any judge, one more blow would topple her. Well then, how to deliver the death blow? What did he know about this group that would help him? Wait! If these people had fought and killed Reed's sons, then maybe, just maybe, they were enemies of the whole Black Fang...And, for that matter, they had called her Lani, not Lanari...So that would help as well. He cleared his throat, and addressed the tent at large: "I wouldn't trust a traitor, mi'lords, mi'ladies. After all, Lanari over there betrayed her own 'family' to help you."

"What are you talking about?" the bear-lord thundered. As Jekran had hoped, he had a short fuse. "Who's Lanari, and how did she betray her own family?"

"You don't know? I would have thought she'd tell the command group, at the very least. That she didn't...Does she trust you so little?" Here, he shook his head in mock sadness. "Little Tactician, you do your 'family' so much shame to forget all of their lessons so quickly. I bet you told no one. Such a shame, Little Hawk." Jekran deliberately drawled Lloyd's pet name for the girl. Sure enough, she flinched, and, as he had hoped, the others had seen it.

"Lani? Are you Lanari?" the gray-haired Etrurian asked, gentleness radiating from him, as if to keep from scaring her.

The Tactician nodded, wine-red eyes wide in an oval face.

Jekran sneered at her, picking up with "So you admit to your real name, but not your true identity, Rein's daughter? Aloa would be so disappointed."

"Dinnae preten' tae ken what mah mammy woul' feel!" the girl shrieked, anger and shame making her explode. The others started at her harsh accent, leading Jekran to assume that she talked the way she had been taught, and not the way she had originally learned. "Ye barely knew mah 'rents, ye ken? Sa dinnae goo assumin' tha' ye ken all abaht mah fam'ly, ye bastid!"

"So you finally show your true colors, eh, Little Hawk? Do you know who would be so disappointed that you forgot your lessons? Your old 'master,' Lloyd!"

The gasps from the others told him that they had indeed met, defeated, and killed Lloyd. "Lani, is this true? Were you a part of the Black Fang?" the red-haired lordling asked. The Tactician hung her head, looking torn.

"Oh, do tell them, Little Hawk! I would love to see their reactions to the truth! To the fact that you were-at one time-one of the most devoted members of the Black Fang! Their most trusted Tactician, best friend of Brendan Reed's sons, with your parents the best friends of Brendan and Sherra Reed! Tell them how devoted you were to the Black Fang!" Jekran threw back his head and laughed the laugh of a madman. His eyes glinted with triumph, and a savage grin of joy lighted his harsh visage.

The Tactician, looking horrified, turned, and ran out of the tent before anyone could stop her. That was the last straw for the bear-lord, who hit Jekran on the head, sending him into blessed darkness.

With Jekran unconscious, the leaders looked at each other, lost about what they should be doing. Then, Louise, sighed. "We should believe in Lani; after all, she's stuck with us this far." The others nodded slow agreement.

"I'll go get Heath to go after her," Lyn said, rising from her perch. "I'll brief him, so that he knows a little of what's going on." When the others made to protest Lyn raised a hand; "It's only fair that he knows what he's going up against when he confronts Lani. My only question is how Jekran knew Lani when they're from different mercenary groups."

Lani stood in the rain, shivering every now and then at the cold. I should have grabbed a cloak...

She had not wanted to see Jekran ever again. The last time she had actually seen him had been a couple days before the Jackals went north. He and his father-also named Jekran-had been arguing with Brendan, his sons, and her father over which merc company had more right to be in Bern. Obviously, the Fang had won. She remembered that Jekran senior had been furious, but wise enough to take his group where they were needed. Jekran junior had been about the same age as Lloyd, and the two had hated each other. Because she was Lloyd's friend, he had hated her, too.

She had heard rumors-shortly before Nadi went to her doom up north-that Jekran junior had killed his father and taken over the Jackals. It was a sobering thought, but it went hand in hand with the rumors of his brutality. Lani was positive that there was nothing he wouldn't do for gain.

She shivered again, and a warm, dark green cloak was draped about her. She turned, startled, to see Heath, also clad in a warm cloak, standing next to her. "You all right?" he asked. She nodded, and snuggled into the cloak.

"Did they tell you?" she asked him, fearing his reaction. It was his turn to nod. She sighed quietly, worried about how he was taking this. She needed him after all, and she was starting to think it wasn't just the need for someone who helped block the nightmares.

"I don't care, Lan', but I wish you had told us sooner. I think it was hard for them to find out from an enemy; it was hard enough for me to find out from Lady Lyndis." She could hear the reproach in his voice, but it was gentle, not accusing. She relaxed, grateful that he wasn't too furious. "If there's something else, you should tell us, not have us find out from a stranger, Lan'. Okay?" She could only nod her head.

When he turned to go, she caught his sleeve. He turned, looking slightly down at her. "Stay...Please..."

"Of course, Lan'."

BloodyCrystal: Well? Didjya like it? I know I didn't deliver everything that I promised, but this seemed like a good stopping point. I hope you enjoyed the chapter, and the stirrings of romance at the end. Please review, even if it's only "good" or "update soon"; all reviews are cuddled, unless they're flames, in which case they go towards roasting marshmallows!