Author's note: This continuation never happened in story, but I don't plan for it to be overly long. We'll end book one and move on to Eliwood's story after that. If you are wondering, the entire story will be broken into three fics. I find it hard to read long fanfics myself, so even those these run on the longer side having them as one long continuous fic would go against my own creed. In that sense, I feel a complete story that lasts about 30-40 chapters is just right.

With that said, enjoy! If you have the time, please leave a review, for they warm the cockles of my heart.

Chapter 28: March

"Everyone goes away… everyone betrays me someday… then aren't they better off dead?"

"Are you sure you're alright?" Will asked Rath as he saddled up. His leg had fully healed, but he had heard Rath had been having trouble dealing with Hailey. For the moment things seemed fine, but with Araphen's team only wishing to work under him, it made Rath a rather vital part of their fighting force in the coming battle.

"Yes. I won't pretend I'm as good as before, but we are working together bit by bit." Rath said. "Hailey and I will not cause any issues in combat."

"I'll hold you to it." Will said. "And you, Matthew? I thought Lord Hector went to see you?"

Matthew waved a hand airily. "Well yeah, of course he did. I'm his spy and all."

"He didn't want you with his unit?" Will asked.

"Well, he did, but I turned him down." Matthew shrugged. "You're going to need me more than Lord Hector does right now."

"That's… very true." Will admitted. "You and Florina's team are the only good recon and intel gatherers I have."

Matthew bowed in a satisfactory manner. Kent rode in from the archway and approached the small group, dismounting swiftly to speak to Will directly. "The groups have been divided and headed properly. Lord Orun will lead his own troops, as will Lord Eliwood and Hector. Oswin is staying with Lord Hector's group, while a knight named Marcus has taken command of the cavaliers."

"Good." Will said. "Florina and Wil?"

"Florina's unit is ready to fly. They understand their job is only to scout and not to fight, which helped put the newbies at ease."

"As I hoped." Will said.

"Wil's archery unit is a little less prepared. They understand where they are to gather and snipe from, but only Wil seems confident in his skills. There are a few archers in other units led by Lord Orun and Lord Hector, but removing them seemed a poor choice."

"Sound judgment." Will said. "This makeshift group needs to trust their leaders. Marcus obviously commands a great deal of respect, which is why I asked him to take the lead of the cavaliers. Florina and Wil are the only experiences classes we have in their fields, so they have no choice but to lead. There may be some bumps, but the forces lead by Orun and Lord Hector are likely to prove as godsends."

"We've been having trouble with one of the cavaliers, however." Sain said, riding in as well. "His name is Erik. He is the son of Marquis Laus. He is angered that he was left out of the strategy briefing, and insists on taking the lead of his own troops. We have two groups of conflicting cavaliers. That wasn't in your plan, was it?"

"No." Will said, biting his lip. "But we haven't the time to force them into submission. If they are split in two, I'll just have to adjust the timing to match."

"The few heavy knights we have are ready." Wallace said, clanking in. "There are only five of us in total, so be careful in using us, eh boy?"

"Right." Will said. "The magic users?"

Erk nodded. "Lucius and I seem to have reached a decent understanding with them. There are about ten of us, so we can also split into groups of five where needed."

"I see, thank you." Will said. "This is where things get tricky…"

He paused, placing a finger to his forehead in thought. His mind slowly and methodically pushed through all the ideas he had swirling in his head, stretching some while losing others. Two of them he combined into one, and after about a minute of thought, he had a new plan.

"Kent, I need you to accompany Marcus's team. Sain, you're with Erik's. I need to know if the timing will fall off and you two are the only one that will get messages to me in time." The two nodded before heading off to their assignments. "Everything else should be fine. Matthew, you'll be a scout on your own. Just don't get caught."

"Gotcha." Matthew said.

"Serra, you'll be with Lyn and I. Dorcas, Nils and Ninian will be with us as well. We'll be moving throughout the battlefield to provide support and first aid to any injured." He said, turning to the Cleric and Axe user. They both nodded as well. He looked at the Castle doors just in time to see Lyn emerging with Eliwood and hector in tow.

"Good, you're here." Will said. "Everyone's ready. We have a small problem with the cavalier grouping, but hopefully Kent and Sain can keep the plan in place."

"And what is this grand plan again?" Hector asked.

"The cavaliers and heavy knights will be a frontal assault. With Lord Orun involved, the Taliver will think it is an attack from an over eager lord trying to get rid of some bandits. When they start emerging from their fortress, Eliwood and Hector will attack from the sides. The positioning is important." Will said. "We want to create a box where the Taliver cannot escape."

"And if they retreat backwards?" Eliwood asked. "The mountains will provide some difficulty but they wouldn't be unable to escape through them."

"The three nations not present are handling that as we speak. Will said. "I sent them a more specific request as their soldiers would never have gathered here in time."

"Brilliant!" Eliwood said, clapping his hands together. "You thought this through to the letter didn't you?"

"Only the battle will tell." Hector said, glowering at Will before passing by. "Call it brilliant after the Taliver lay dead and we're still breathing."

"He has a point." Will said, smiling.

"You still shouldn't let him speak to you like that." Lyn said angrily.

"Please." Eliwood said, putting up a hand. "Let me speak to him. He's usually not this… aggressive. I promise."

"It's alright." Will said. "I don't care how he acts towards me. All that matters is defeating the Taliver. And ensuring as little of us die as possible."

"Hector!" Eliwood shouted, catching up to his blue haired friend. Hector sighed. Trying to brush Eliwood off was only going to make him more stubborn, he knew that. At the same time, he really didn't feel like being pried for answers from his friend today.

"Our groups are too close together, Eliwood. If we're going to flank we need to be on opposite sides." Hector said.

"You know we have several days march ahead." Eliwood argued. "You just don't want me pressing you about how you're treating Lyndis' friend."

"If you know I don't want you bugging me why are you doing it anyway?' Hector growled.

"Because it's not right." Eliwood stated firmly.

Hector looked at his friend incredulously. "You… you don't know anything about him, do you?'

"I don't need to to know he's a good person." Eliwood said. "Even if he was a member of the Black Fang, why should that matter? The Black Fang have a good reputation in Lycia and Bern, and him leaving them to pursue a bandit leader is strange, but understandable."

"It's not some grand act of charity." Hector barked. "It's from his guilt. His stupidity got Maria killed, and now he's trying to atone for his mistake. I'm not in a forgiving mood though."

"Do you really think he wants forgiveness?" Eliwood asked, glancing back at will's group as they marched.

"Everyone who does something wrong does." Hector said. "Just because he wants it doesn't mean I'll give it, even if he asks. I'm not so kind as to forgive or forget what he's done."

"Maria… Wasn't she Leila's sister?" Eliwood asked.

"Yeah." Hector said. "She's here with my group too. I had her meet me to talk with Matthew earlier."

"About what?" Eliwood asked.

"I'm not going to tell you." Hector said. "Private business."

"It's never private between us, Hector. You know that." Eliwood said.

"Yeah well then if I get my ass in trouble I expect you to save it. That good enough?" Hector asked.

Eliwood sighed in resignation. "Fine. Just… be careful. Will said he wanted to get us all out alive. I believe he means to do just that."

Matthew tried in vain to turn his gaze away from Hector as he, Serra and Leila all stared intently at him. "I suppose 'good to see you' or 'top of the morning' or even 'I heard you almost got your ass killed' is out the window then?" He asked with a nervous chuckle. When Hector didn't respond, he sighed. "Right, then…"

"Just tell him." Serra huffed. "Leila deserves to know everything as it is, right? If you won't, you know I'm more than happy too."

"Sure know how to put pressure on a guy." Matthew said, though half of that was directed at Leila. She had continued to stare at him, steadily, refusing to look away. He had to admit, the sting was palpable.

The next hour or so was quite the ordeal. He relayed in detail everything Will had told him about Maria, the missions they had gone on together, and the rather stupid plan to escape they had so foolishly come up with. He told in full the escape plan, and what few details Will had garnered about her fight with the Black Fang member Mark. He told of her death, and her burial in the flowerbed near the seahaven.

"The Black Fang are more dangerous than even Lord Uther suspected." Serra said calmly. Leila remained silent, and Hector had stapled his hands together in front of his face, blocking his face from the view of the others in the room. "Will never did learn what their leader was up to either, even when he was assigned to that 'special squadron.'"

"Will suspected…" Matthew began, though he was hesitant to mention this part of their talk. "That the man in charge only kept him around to be a plaything for this Mark character. Will wasn't sure how important this Mark was, but high ranking members like Lloyd and Linus Reed paid him respect."

"The sons of the leader, hmm? And yet Will would claim another man pulls the strings. Yet he has no proof of it other than his word. Maria always attached herself to the hopeless cases." Leila finally said, closing her eyes.

Hector snapped. "Quiet." The three fell silent, looking at their lord. Hector untied his hands, balling them into fists. "This story the tactician has been weaving… all of it is thanks to Maria. However, he is not the only one who cared for her. Matthew, Serra, join my team."

"If we're going to fight…" Matthew said, "I'd rather stay at the tactician's side this time. He's going to need me."

"I as well." Serra said. "He said my healing will be more vital than ever."

Hector growled. "Fine, but both of you hear and understand this. Maria was my vassal, and my responsibility. Therefore, for this transgression," Hector grabbed the door, yanking it open with a rough tug, "I'll be taking Mark's head."

"Did you tell Hector everything?" Will asked the thief, as they continued to march in the afternoon sun.

"Ah, you caught me huh?" Matthew said with a wince.

"You never tried to hide it." Will said. "At least, your lord didn't."

"Lord Hector isn't very good with subtlety." Matthew agreed. "He cares about his subordinates a great deal. Maria's loss hits him harder than most."

Will sighed, running a hand through his hair. "So that means I should expect him to do something stupid?"

Matthew grinned sheepishly. "Lord Hector is a great fighter. I wouldn't worry about him, but know one thing…" The thief bowed. "Lord Hector has vowed to take Mark's head."

"I see." Will said. "As long as Mark is stopped, it doesn't matter who finishes him off."

"That's surprising." Matthew said. "I thought you wanted to kill him more than anything?"

"I do, but… that's selfishness talking." Will said. "Mark is too strong for me to defeat. Nor do I think Maria would have wanted me devoting all my time to revenge. That means… as hard as it is, I have to let go. Somehow." Will clenched his chest. "I just wish it wasn't so difficult."

"Life is difficult." Matthew said. "We never seem to say the things we should."

"Like you with Leila?" Will asked.

Matthew sighed. "That would be one example yes."

"Why not change it?" Will asked.

"I… I can't. Not yet. There's too much to do." Matthew said. "Besides, I imagine after this she'll want to see the grave."

"Ah… right." Will said. "I'd be happy to show all of them where it is. It's a peaceful place, I think she's happy there."

Matthew shook his head and smiled. "She did what she wanted and never regretted a moment. Of course she's happy."

Will turned away from the thief, looking over at Lyn and Serra who were talking about the magic of healing. Matthew could swear he heard the tactician mutter 'thank you' but perhaps that had just been his wishful thinking.

"Saint Elimine was one of the eight legends who fought in the scouring." Serra regaled the confused Lycian. "She was the wielder of a holy tome but more importantly the healing staff that kept her allies alive. She founded Etruria, one of the large countries."

"I've heard of Etruria, but not The Scouring." Lyn said.

"You've never heard of The Scouring?" Serra asked incredulously. When Lyn simply nodded, she sighed. "It was the great war that took place between humans and dragons a thousand years ago! It's said humanity only defeated the dragons thanks to the eight legends, one of which was Saint Elimine."

"I suppose that makes sense." Lyn said.

"When Elimine's work was done, she ascended into heaven from the tower of Aqueia. When she did, her magical prowess showered the land, granting people the use of light magic and healing staves." Serra said impressively.

"That's no more than a legend though, isn't it?" Lyn asked. "How can you be sure it is real?"

"Well… I can't." Serra said, slumping in defeat. "It's more of a belief, you get my meaning?"

"You mean like how we Sacaens pray to the earth and sky for guidance and bounty?" Lyn asked.

"That's… probably as close as we'll get." Serra said. "Or like how you believe in all of us to help you."

Lyn smiled. "Yes, I am glad to be fighting alongside you all. While I will have to control my anger at the Taliver, I truly wish to see this Mark defeated. That way…"

"Will can be all happy again, and then you can make out and have tons of children!" Serra giggled, before making puckering noises with her lips. Lyn blushed.

"That is… far more than my imagination had managed." Lyn said. "Clerics truly are impressive."

"Ah Lyn, I love you." Serra giggled again, taking Lyn by the arm and dragging her over to Florina. The three began to talk some more, Lyn worrying over Florina's task and Florina doing her best to assuage any doubts she had. Serra continued to interject and make them both flustered in unexpected way, but it seemed a strange friendship between the three had grown.

The week and a half march passed uneventfully. Each day they moved a bit more carefully, and scouts like Florina's unit and Matthew's were used more often to ensure Taliver were not lurking to spring a surprise attack upon them. The previous day, Eliwood and Hector's teams had split off from the main force, going around opposing mountains to successfully be in position for their pincer strike. Will had told them of the signal for their attack as well as the signal for the back ridge squadron, so they would know which way the battle was going.

Florina and her unit returned. They had flown high in the air to avoid being spotted, so they could only report on the unit positioning and not what their weaponry was. As Will laid them out upon a map, he cursed silently under his breath. "This formation is all too familiar."

"What is it?" Florina asked.

"It's called 'The Wings of Death.' It's a favorite formation of Mark's." Will took out several smaller pieces and placed them in locations Florina had noticed, but hadn't seen any activity in. "He places units in an almost nonsensical location. From above, you can see it more clearly than on the ground. You see?" He said, taking a quill pen and drawing a line between units."

"It looks like… angel wings." Lyn said. "How horrible."

"Yes well…" Will said, placing example units on his side. "What usually would occur is units would charge down the middle, as the enemy force is concentrated there. By breaking through, they seem to destroy the enemy completely. That's his trap." Will moved the units, creating a strange situation where suddenly the units were boxed in by the reinforcements. "It's a simple trap maneuver, but you'd be surprised how often it works."

"How do we beat it?" Orun asked.

"I… I'm not entirely sure." Will said, crossing his arms. "Our plan seems like it would be the best way to go, but the issue is why Mark is using it in the first place."

"Go on." The lord insisted.

"I know this formation. We used it several times together. Mark knows I would chase after him, which is why he set this up. So that means-" Will began.

"It must be a trap!" Florina cried in surprise.

"Exactly my thought. The problem I'm having is that I can't see how that is." Will moved the units, showing now their planned reinforcements. It now showed the Caelin forces surrounding the bandits easily. "This is what should happen with our reinforcements. The problem is Mark should be expecting this."

"Is it so strange that he hasn't?" Orun asked. "Perhaps this man is not as formidable as you thought?"

"No, he wants us to play his game…" Will muttered. "But how do we break the formation without falling into the trap?"

"A strike team?" Lyn asked.

Will perked up. "Hang on… That may just work." He quickly knocked down the pieces on the map, before grabbing them up and resetting the entire battle to their current set-up. He then continued muttering to himself, marking certain areas with his quill pen as he went.

After a few minutes of this, Will stopped, and sat back. There were five possible reinforcement points. If Mark was going to use the classic version of the strategy, he'd have the new fighters come from here. There were three fortresses that were too far away, but two of them were relatively close by. If even one of them held the reinforcements, they could break the formation and when the reinforcements came there would not be enough to create a proper enclosure.

"Would that be enough?" Will wondered, muttering to himself. Again, he may have been over thinking things, but it seemed too easy. Mark would know the fallacy of that plan as well. Even if he used a double bluff by creating a smaller and then bigger ring around Caelin reinforcements, there were not enough bandits to pull off anything more complicated. Was that it? Was there simply not enough men to work with?

Will placed a finger to his forehead, deep in thought. Lyn recognized this pose from a couple of times before, and realized this was Will's decisive pose. After this, he would have decided on a course of action. It would be risky, and would involve a lot of luck, but it would be the best strategy.

If Mark does not have enough men, is he even still around? The Taliver would not be here unless he was, or so I'd like to think. However, if he was willing to sacrifice them for his own escape it would be all too easy. He did the same for Lundgren. The Angel Wing formation bugs me as well. He should have expected me to ask for help, unless he truly thinks me mad enough to come after him alone. I suppose it is possible, the way he killed Maria and called her a witch. The thought made him pause. "Witch?" He muttered. He glanced at Lyn and Florina, and realized something he had overlooked entirely.

"Mark's in one of the reinforcement forts." Will said with sudden clarity.

"What?" Lyn asked in surprise.

"It's why it's set up so plainly. He wants me to send out a strike team. No, more specifically… he wants me to send you, Lyn." Will said.

"Why me?" Lyn asked in surprise.

"Mark killed Maria. When he did, he called her a witch. He claimed she had been bewitching me and led me astray. If he still feels the same…" Will began

"Then I would seem like a witch even worse than her." Lyn gasped. "Not only did I take you from the Fang, but I made you my tactician to regain a country."

"At least that's how he'd see it." Will said. "You know I never once felt that way."

"Yes." Lyn said with a decisive nod. "So, what do we do?"

Will crossed his arms once more. "I'm not sure… Mark is extremely powerful. Sending a strike team alone may not be enough, even if I did send you in with them, Lyn."

"Then we bring the brunt of my force against him." Orun argued.

"No." Will retorted. "Without your forces, the Taliver will overwhelm the rest. You possess the leadership to tell the knights and cavaliers how to fight while in the midst of combat. It's not something we can easily lose."

Orun grunted. "I suppose."

"Then… what about me?" Florina asked.

"You?" Will asked in surprise.

"If I join the strike team and we lure them out of the fortress, we would have the advantage right? Mark's dark magic won't work well against Huey." Florina said with surprising strength.

"I could no more send you than Lyn." Will said. "Mark doesn't care who among my friends goes, he just wants to kill them."

"Then trust us, Will." Lyn said. "Please."

Will closed his eyes again. Thoughts dueled against each other in his mind. He knew he could not delay the attack. Anymore time and they would risk Mark's strategy changing to one he could not see through. He could not even be one hundred percent sure Mark was in the fortress. Whether he was or wasn't there, the best chance to defeat him or any reinforcements would lie with Lyn and Florina. They had proven themselves time and time again.

"Fine." Will said. "Lyn, Florina, Matthew and Dorcas will make up the strike team."

The four nodded. "If it gets dangerous, pull back. I don't want any of you dying. It's easier to turn this into a siege situation if we have to than lose any of you."

"Don't worry." Dorcas said, for the first time speaking up. "I'll keep them safe."

"What about the other fortress?" Orun asked.

"I'll have Rath's unit handle that one. Most of them can fight on foot." Will said. "Is that alright with you, Rath?"

"Yes." The nomad said with a small nod. "Allow me to repay your trust."

Orun surveyed his troops. At the back stood the tactician, who was silently seeing off their little taskforce. Next to him stood their healer, Serra of Ostia. He recognized her, though he supposed now wasn't the time for reminiscing.

"Men!" Orun shouted, calling them to attention.

"And women!" One of his knights shouted. There rose a laughed from the knights.

"And women." Orun agreed. "The time has come to show your mettle. You all represent the great and noble houses of Lycia, founded upon the great Lord Roland! When he took up Durandal,he brought an end to The Scouring! I know a group of Bandits might seem to pale in comparison, but our feelings now are the same as Roland's then: we are Lycia's protectors! We see to the needs of the people! When theirs screams were not heard as these ruthless bandits cut them down, we failed them. Shall we fail them now?"

"NO!" Roared the knights.

"When this man used Caelin's usurper for his own ends until he cast him aside, he showed his true colors. When the Taliver cut down innocents like the Lorca tribe of Sacae, they showed their true colors. Are they worthy of our forgiveness?"

"NO!" Roared the knights again.

"Then by the eight great heroes of legend, draw your weapons! Let the blood of these monsters stain the grass beneath their feet! Let your shields block any fell arrows that come your way! Let any doubts you have be laid to rest upon this hill, to be shouldered after the day is won!" Orun cried, drawing his blade. "Come, noble knights of Lycia! To battle!"

The roar filled the hilltop, as the cavaliers and knights charged down the slope. The bandits looked upon their opponents, seeing the sun shining brightly off their spears and blades, and gripped their weapons as they fell in line. As the first knight approached, the first bandit raised his blade. As one, the two enemies swung their weapons, and the battle was joined.

Rath followed his men inside the fortress. Will had suspected this fortress was deserted, which was likely why he had sent Rath to this one while Lyn and her team tackled the other. However, the smallest chance of mark being inside made him all the more wary. The last time the two had fought, Mark had knocked him out with the ease of a newborn babe. When he had faced Lundgren, he had found himself useless do to his own incompetence. Yet will continued to rely upon him. Perhaps the tactician was more Naïve than Rath had originally thought. He had meant it when he said he wanted to repay Will's trust in him.

When they heard the sounds of chatter around the corner, Rath quickly indicated they should move against the wall. As they did, Rath took the point, his bow at the ready. When he rounded the corner, he nearly found himself face to face with a bandit, mouth stuffed full of food. He let his arrow fly instantly, landing it straight between the man's eyes. The rest of the bandits were sitting at the tables, scarfing away without a care. When one of their men hit the floor, they had paused to look in Rath's direction.

"Attack!" Rath shouted. The four bolted around the corner and past him, weapons at the ready, as the bandits all rose in a clatter from their seats.

"Inside here, huh?" Lyn muttered. She inched her way towards the fortress door. Dorcas was behind her, while Florina hovered overhead on her pegasus. Matthew seemed to have found an alternate way inside, but Lyn had no time to focus on him right now. Inside she could hear the sounds of chatter.

"How accurate do you think Will's prediction is?" Dorcas whispered as Lyn placed her hand on the doorknob.

"I do not believe Will would have said it if he didn't believe it to be true." She whispered back. Dorcas nodded, the grip on his axe tightening.

"You can come in." The soft voice of a man Lyn thought she recognized reached her ears. Nodding to Dorcas, the two opened the door and entered. In front of them stood Mark, a small smile on his face. His black cloak covered his back, and the hood was pulled up. Underneath they could see the strange glow of his eyes, and the smirk that played across his face. "Welcome… witch. Somehow I knew you would come."

"Somehow Will knew you'd be expecting me." Lyn retorted, pointing her blade at Mark's chest.

"Where's the second witch? Outside with her Pegasus I imagine? Such fragile things…" Mark chuckled. "If I kill you two, will Will return to me?"

"No." Lyn stated.

"Oh I know." Mark said with a sorrowful sigh. "The man I knew is dead. You don't seem to understand the world very well, little nomad. Your words poisoned Will's mind, just as that spy from before. I suppose he's also to blame for believing in it."

"What are you talking about?" Dorcas asked.

"Well big one, I'm speaking about people." Mark raised his hands. "The ones that aren't trying to kill you aren't being honest. They'll always want something from you. They take and take and take until there is nothing left. I learned the proper term is… using your resources."

"People are not toys or things to be used." Lyn growled.

"That's where you're wrong." Mark said with a laugh. "You're parents left you. Do you know why? It is not because they died, it is because they didn't love you enough. When Will betrayed me, it was because he didn't love me enough. Such a fickle emotion." He chuckled again. "The one thing you can always count on is the day someone betrays you. Will though… his eyes were different. Desperate. Honest. I loved those eyes. The witch took those eyes away from me. You took those eyes away from me. The one thing that was mine…"

A sudden blast of dark magic hurled Lyn and Dorcas from the fort. Mark emerged, crackling with dark energy. Matthew suddenly appeared from the shadows, swiping his blade for the man's throat, but Mark grabbed the blade with his bare hands, cutting his hand open as he tore the knife from Matthew's hand before blasting him with dark magic as well, sending him tumbling away. He then threw the knife at the oncoming Pegasus, who dodged quickly and landed next to Lyn, Florina holding her lance at the ready.

"The players are assembled…" Mark mused, looking upon the battle below. "Let the final act begin."

End Notes: When I started this chapter, I didn't know where it would end. unfortunately, it ends right as the battle against the Taliver is truly beginning. As I'm heading out of town, this means we won't see the next installment until after Thanksgiving since until then I'll be so busy. I plan to finish this first book by the end of the year, so bear with me a little longer. then next year we'll dive right into Eliwood and Hector's journey. Should be fun!