Author's Note: This extra chapter in the original game, while I love it for the chance to grind, really did come out of nowhere since the ending of Imprisoner of Magic didn't have any scene to back it up. So, to make it more in canon, I had to end last chapter in a cliffhanger. Since the Fiora flashback took 2 chapters to complete, I felt like going for two story chapters would be fine. Don't worry, I'll have another side chapter or two directly after this one.

Pixelsaber: There's actually a pretty good manga that's a side story to Binding blade featuring a different character. I really it. It's called Hasha no Tsurugi, if you're curious. even though I've never played 6, I understood the plot of the manga fine and liked it well enough. Palla is actually a pegasus knight from them original fire emblem, Marcia you were right about and Matoi is the japanese name for a pegasus knight character in the upcoming Fire Emblem Fates. You also are right about Renault. I wanted to get his supports featured but featuring him in the final two chapters or something like that seemed like a waste of a potentially vastly interesting character that I could use in a new and hopefully more interesting way. Ninian's vanishing is never really explained in game, so I'll go with 'The party just doesn't keep as good an eye on her as they should on the island. Seriously.'

As always, hope you enjoy the chapter. Leave a review if you get the chance!

Chapter 60: A Glimpse in Time

Lady Eleanora,

Your son has grown into a fine young man. It is my honor to watch over him every day as he struggles and learns about the world we live in. As a man who has sworn his life to your house, it is my greatest pleasure.

Today, we leave for the Isle known as Valor. My apprehensions aside, we have confidence that Lord Elbert is there. Otherwise, I could never condone this venture.

Eliwood has found solace in his friend Hector and, oddly enough, in the Tactician William. I do not pretend to understand how your son chooses his friends, but have faith in knowing both, while not perfect, are fine young men.

As for your curiosity regarding your son's interest in romance, I'm sorry to say I've seen no real evidence of it in his demeanor. He is too focused on his father and his task to likely hold such thoughts for long, though the small number of women in our company may also have something to do with it.

I promise, as long as I draw breath, no harm shall come to your son.

Marcus, Paladin of House Pharae

"Spread out!" Will shouted to everyone. "Cover the area in a fifty meter radius, but be sure to come back before going out too far! We need to find where Ninian is and where she's going!"

"Right!" The company responded quickly.

As they fanned out, Will turned toward the Dragon's Gate. They had come so close, yet now they stepped away from it once more. He grit his teeth. Part of him knew he should tell everyone to forget Ninian and storm the gate while they had the upper hand. If they did so, killing Nergal in the process, then they could look for Ninian at their leisure. However, the longer Ninian was on her own, the more danger she was in. Especially with those golden eyed monsters wandering around. How many there were or where they were positioned, Will had no idea.

"Will!" Hector shouted. "I saw Ninian moving in the trees!"

"Florina, Fiora, take off and follow Hector!" Will commanded. "Once everyone returns I'll send them in your direction! Be sure one of you circles back from time to time to ensure we're on the right path!"

The Pegasus riders nodded, each leading their steed into the air before flying off over the trees, Hector vanishing back into the mess of vines and leaves.

A man carefully raised his scarf to cover his mouth, as he continued to lead the way through the endless night. Behind him, a young boy and girl followed close behind, holding each other for warmth. Eventually, thankfully, a castle of some sort entered their view. It wasn't in the best condition, but if even one room was useable and he could get a fire going… it should be good enough.

Unslinging one of the several packs he was carrying, the man dumped a large number of sticks and logs onto the ground of the room. Slowly, he set to work. First, rubbing two sticks together, he made a fire. The small amount of straw he had left was able to supplement the small flame enough to grow it into a proper fire, which he then put a log onto. Now that the fire was going, he began to cook a small meal.

When he finished, he handed it to the children, who began to eat happily. He smiled, before taking off another pack, dumping the rations and foods onto the ground. He turned to the kids, who had just finished their meager meal. "You should hide here and wait. Here's all the food we have and water is in the containers in the pack. As long as you ration yourselves, it should last about ten days."

The young girl seemed confused. "What about you, daddy? Are you… are you going away?"

The man smiled kindly, bending down to place a hand on his daughter's head. "Daddy has to go to Aenir. He's going to get Mommy back."

"Mommy?" The girl asked, excitedly. "Where is she?"

"Some bad men took her away." The father explained. "They can't have gone very far, though. Daddy needs to go after them to save Mommy. You wait ten days… If- if daddy's not back by then, you take your brother and go to the other side. You're a clever girl, so I'm sure you remember the way, right?"

The girl had tears in her eyes, but nodded. "Daddy…"

The boy, who had been silently holding his sister's hand, suddenly spoke. "Daddy, don't go!"

The man smiled again. It was a sad smile, one the children recognized as their dad's ever since their mother had been taken away. "You're good children. Both of you." He said, placing his hand atop both of their heads. He ruffled their hair, a sign of affection they still remembered. They giggled slightly, in spite of themselves. "I'll come back for you. I promise."

He stood, throwing his scarf back around his neck as raising it once more to cover his mouth. With one last look at the siblings, who cuddled together next to the fire, he left the room.

Ninian softly placed her hands upon the stone, miraculously free of moss. She stared at it, as though a memory long forgotten had begun to stir. From behind, several members of the company finally caught up. Thankfully, Ninian hadn't been running, merely wandering. Following her was easy once they had spotted her. Cautiously, Eliwood and Lyndis approached. Hector and Will followed just behind, signaling the others to take up defensive positions just in case.

"Ninian? Lyn asked, kindly taking the girl's free hand. "Why did you wander off? Is there something here?"

Ninian shook her head. "This place… I feel as if… I know it." Ninian said, her voice barely above a whisper. "It's very… familiar."

"What?" Lyn asked in confusion. "How could that be?"

"What is it?" Will asked.

"She says she knows this place, or at least has a feeling she does." Lyn explained. "Could it have something to do with her amnesia?"

"Why would she be familiar with anything on the Dread Isle?" Hector asked. "Wasn't she a captive?"

"Hmm…" Eliwood mused, placing his hand on the stone just next to Ninian. "It's a very old structure. It must have been abandoned for centuries. How is it that it's remained so clean?"

"Clean is a relative term." Will said. "It looks like quite a wreck to me."

"Castles tend fall into disrepair rather quickly without proper care." Eliwood explained. "At least, I remember an instance where father forgot to tend to one side of the castle for six months, and it made quite a noticeable difference."

"What about the Dragon's Gate?" Hector asked. "We were maybe a mile away before, and now we're way off course."

"Don't be so insensitive!" Lyn snapped. "This might restore Ninian's memory! Surely that's worth a little detour?"

"Look, not saying I don't see your point." Hector argued. "But we're in a bit of a hurry, aren't we? When the sun rises, we'll only have nine days left to finish this Nergal bastard, find Eliwood's father and figure out where that Nils kid is. If we start wasting time, Eliwood's father could be-"

"It's fine, Hector." Eliwood stated firmly. "Let's see what happens."

"Fine." Hector said, raising his arms in defeat. "But you're being too nice for your own good."

"Yeah…" Will softly agreed.

"So you think so too?" Hector whispered.

"We were within spitting distance of our goal." Will muttered. "Of course a detour now is detrimental."

As Lyn and Eliwood examined the castle further, Will noticed a strange cloaked man watching them. "Hey! Who's there?"

The man, noticing that Will had spotted him, slowly approached. He was covered in a cloak of blue and made no move for a weapon. Hector readied his axe just in case. "Hello…" The man said timidly.

"You…" Hector began, before trailing off. He remember that motion Will made before. It was his 'let's play this out for the moment' signal. "Do you live here?" Hector asked, changing directions mid-sentence. If he was allowed to say, he thought it was a pretty good cover.

The man shook his head. "No, I'm just a simple traveler." This was immediately suspicious. Lyn and Eliwood were slowly drawing Ninian back from the man, allowing Will and Hector to take the entirety of his attention. "I was walking in the woods and became tired, so I rested here. This building… has been abandoned for a long time."

Will glanced at Renault, who was nearby. The mysterious priest gave a small shrug, which was of no help to him. How were there these 'travelers' around the island? It seemed too convenient for these travelers to be appearing daily on an island that was nearly impossible to reach. "Is that so?" Will asked. "Then perhaps we'll rest here as well. Would that be acceptable?"

"Yes, of course." The man replied. "I do not own the ruins."

"Do you know something about them?" Will probed.

"It's a ruin form the days of the Scouring." The man explained. "Most likely the residence of a dark sorcerer. I've found several ancient tomes here. Fascinating stuff, really."

"Ancient tomes?" Canas asked, breaking from the rest of the group. "Does it contain more information on the depths of Elder Magic?"

The man smiled. "I see, a fellow practitioner. I am trying to unlock their secrets at the moment. If I can, I'll move one step closer to the darkness. From what I've gathered so far, I must make further reparations."

Canas' enthusiasm seemed to dwindle quickly when the man made mention of darkness. "Reparations?"

"Yes." The man said, smiling softly. "It is the fate of all who study dark magic. To covet the dark, you must choose it for yourself. Then you erase that very self to become its vessel. Only then can you receive the dark and master it. Those with weak dispositions are overwhelmed, of course. They become… lost. Off times, they forget why they sought their power in the first place. Even then only a few can ever gain true power. Still, to win such a prize… one's self is an insignificant sacrifice to achieve it."

Canas fell silent. This man, who seemed so timid in appearance, was anything but. He shot Will a knowing look, who nodded. They remained silent, allowing the man to continuing speaking. However, underneath his robe, Canas gently placed a hand on his tome.

"I've heard many rumors in my time…" The man mused. "Bramimond, one of the eight legends, devoted himself entirely to the dark. All his emotions, all his memories... dissolved inside the river of darkness. It is how he received the power to best dragons."

"I don't understand." Will said calmly. "Why would anyone want power at the cost of their identity?"

"I must have power at any cost." The man said.

Will shivered. It was a thought he remembered well. He doubted anyone there had not felt it at some point in their life. When Lundgren had threatened Lycia, had Kent and Sain not wanted the power to stop him? When Mark had poisoned him, hadn't Lyn wanted the power to save him? When Maria had fallen before him, had he not wanted the power to stop Mark, no matter how much he had to give to get it? He couldn't find it in himself to refute the man's words.

"Every living soul has felt such desire." The man explained, a small smile spreading across his face. "I know I have. Haven't you, Lord William of Santaruz?"

"How do you-" Will began, but Hector pushed him aside.

"So you were Fang after all!" He shouted, charging with his axe.

From beneath the man's robes, dark clouds billowed forth. In spite of himself, Hector backed away. "Uhai and Aion's death were convenient." They heard the man's voice from inside the dark cloud. "Your exhaustion is even more convenient. I, Teodor, lay claim to the deed of killing the young nobles of Lycia. When I'm done, I will examine this building's treasures at my leisure!"

"A man as twisted as you has no right to the secrets of the elder arts!" Canas shouted angrily.

"What's this black mist?" Hector growled, sticking a hand in it experimentally. "I can't see a blasted thing!"

"Our enemy has more troops at his disposal, then." Will muttered. "Troops used to his unique magic. This is going to be a damn hard fight."

"Ninian's gone!" Lyn shouted, to everyone's surprise. "I don't… did they manage to take her?"

"Let's go, Will!" Eliwood shouted firmly. "We've got to save her!"

"Alright." Will said. "We need to group up. I imagine he's got a lot of shamans at his disposal, considering his love for Elder magic."

"His magic is dark magic. There's no need to be courteous." Canas said.

Will chuckled. "Alright. Here's what we're going to do. Priscilla, you'll remain out here with Lucius and Raven. I need you three to guard Merlinus and Leila."

"Sure thing." Lucius said. "Will you be alright leaving two healers here?"

"In that darkness, it's better to send people back out of the ruins then keep them there if they get injured." Will explained. "That means you two will be on rotation."

"Hand me your lightning tome." Serra said to Lucius. "I think I remember enough now to make use of it."

"As long as you're sure." Lucius said, handing her the book. "Keep yourself safe, Miss Serra."

"Of course I will." Serra said, flipping her hair in annoyance.

"Hector, you'll lead the strike force. We'll put a lot of front line fighters there, since we want to make it appealing to the enemy. You'll take the straight path so you can send anyone back who gets injured." Will said.

"Right. Who've I got?" Hector asked.

"Oswin, Wallace, Kent, Sain, Marcus, Lowen, Rebecca, Wil, Dorcas, Bartre, Dart and Guy for vision." Will said calmly.

"That really is a heavy frontline." Hector chuckled. "We've got it covered."

"Eliwood, you'll take Serra, Matthew and Fiora on the left path." Will said. "You're a strike team. Fiora, is that alright with you?"

"Yes." Fiora said with a nod. "I knew I would have to leave Apples outside anyway." She walked over to Raven, handing him the reigns. "Please look after her."

"Eh?" Raven said, slightly taken aback. "Uh yeah… sure."

"Lyn, you've got Erk and Florina. I'll make up a tertiary strike team with Canas and Renault." Will explained. "If I remember what we saw earlier, just inside the right path is another split. We'll each take one path there."

"Are you sure?" Lyn asked. She leaned in quickly as she lowered her voice. "Canas I understand, but that Renault character is…"

"A risk." Will admitted. "One I'm willing to take right now. We need to end this quickly, or exhaustion will do us in."

"You have a point." Lyn relented. "Just… be careful. I get worried when you go off on your own."

"I'm not about to get myself poisoned again, if you're suggesting that." Will grinned.

"I should hope not." Lyn giggled. "I'd have a hard time saving your butt yet again."

"I'll be careful." Will said. "This is a good chance to see if Renault's word is his bond."

"Alright." Lyn said. She straightened up, looking at Florina and Erk. "You both ready?"

"Yes." Florina said. Moments earlier she had led Huey over to Priscilla, handing her the reigns and thanking her in advance for her help.

"I'm ready." Erk said, thumping his tome softly.

"Are you two prepared?" Will asked. "This isn't going to be easy."

"A chance to redeem my craft is all I require." Canas said grumpily, adjusting his monocle.

"I see." Renault said calmly. "Both out of necessity and a desire to test my resolve. Most clever, young tactician."

"I try." Will said, not entirely happy Renault had sniffed out his reasons so quickly.

Hector's force pushed forward at a steady pace, clearing each room they came across. With the sheer numbers, any opponent they ran into was quickly overwhelmed before any dark spells could be finished chanting. The issue was with how truly ruined the castle was. Several walls were at least partially destroyed, and nearly every room had a window or opening that inevitably lead to another. The enemies that could be hiding in these places, waiting to ambush them, worried Hector more than the opponent's in front of them.

That was what the other teams were for. Eliwood's team was the most effective with Matthew at the helm. While he wasn't a huge fan of stealth, preferring to face his enemies head on much like Hector did, he had a talent for stealth Will had no hesitation taking advantage of. Matthew in particular worked well when directing him and Fiora, positioning them before they even realized there was an enemy. Serra as well, though she did shudder when they took out a few enemies with particularly brutal tactics, remained silent.

After making their way through three rooms, it seems they had run out of enemies to fight. Cautious, the quartet decided to take a small break.

"The lack of sun has been doing terrible things to my skin on this island." Serra complained softly, rubbing her arms and shivering.

"Best get your strength back." Matthew replied. "We'll be moving shortly."

"Hey, Matthew." Serra began. "Wouldn't it be great if Lord Hector gave us our own vassals?"

"Eh?" Matthew asked, confused. "No. Who needs partners to swipe treasures or unlock doors? Too many people means too many footfalls. Four is already pushing it."

Serra puffed out her cheeks. "I still want them."

Matthew rolled his eyes. "Oh really. And what would you have these oh so important vassals do?"

Serra smiled happily. "Well, first, they'd have to call me Lady Serra."

Matthew sighed. Serra had certainly been hung up on being treated highly lately. Well, she had always had a penchant for acting like it, but lately it had been especially prominent. "Right."

"And bring me cold, refreshing drinks." Serra said, putting her hands together as she imagined the scene. "Oh, and massage my feet and shoulders every day. It would be best if they submitted to my every whim, of course…"

Matthew gaped. That wasn't called a vassal as far as he could call. It was something nobody dared say in fear of dishonoring the very important legal document banning such a thing from ever occurring in Elibe.

Serra looked at Matthew, noticing his aghast look before giggling slightly and shrugging. "What? I'm not asking for much, just that they love me above all else and slave away for me faithfully!"

"Oh, is that all?" Matthew scoffed. "Well, then…" He glanced down the hallway they would be going down shortly. Still no signs of movement. So it wasn't time to move yet.

"I wonder if anyone's misplaced their vassals recently. Maybe we'll just find some lying around somewhere…" Serra mused.

"Not bloody likely." Matthew muttered darkly.

On the other side of the room, Eliwood and Fiora cleaned their weapons of the blood they had accumulated. Something about their enemies made them feel like leaving the blood on them was a bad idea. "So, Fiora." Eliwood began, somewhat nervously. "Are you getting accustomed to being in our ranks?"

Fiora nodded. "I am, milord. Most Pegasus Knights are used to adapting to new command, since many of us train as mercenaries."

"Ah right." Eliwood said. "The Pegasus Knights of Ilia. Seeing you and Florina fight, I can only imagine their quality."

"Your praise is an honor." Fiora said politely. "I will do my best not to betray your trust in my skills."

"Please, don't worry so much about the formalities." Eliwood said, raising a hand. "While I understand the desire, I consider everyone an equal. Comrades fighting towards the same goal."

"Equals…" Fiora muttered. "Milord, I'm not…"

"I know it's not a widely accepted practice." Eliwood admitted. "Treating my troops as equals despite standings, gender or age… many would call me a heretic. And yet… everyone here is a friend to me, in some degree. Each one is irreplaceable."

Fiora fell silent, her head lowering as she focused on her task. He certainly was a strange lord. Yet William had said the same thing when they met. It was the army that trusted her sister to lead them in battles. It was… unique, to say the least. Were there some merits to Eliwood's words? But then, what about the life she had led? The rules she had devoted herself to following? Surely he wasn't suggesting they were wrong? Without rules, there was chaos. Without a chain of command, soldiers could become arrogant, cocky, unwilling to listen.

"You seem troubled." Eliwood sighed. "I suppose I come off as some naïve lordling with his head in the clouds. Is that what you were thinking?"

"What?" Fiora cried in surprise. Matthew turned quickly, placing a hand to his lips angrily at her raised voice. "No!" She hissed, lowering her tone. Eliwood's meaningful look, however, made her sigh. "I… I just cannot imagine you will be able to think that way for long."

"You speak the truth, to an extent." Eliwood admitted. "But I meant every word just the same."

"To be honest… speaking personally, at least," Fiora began, "I like that way of thinking." She placed a hand on the front of her armor softly. "I just don't believe it's possible. Not anymore."

Eliwood shook his head. "Then, Fiora, I'll have to do my utmost to restore your faith in that belief."

Fiora looked at Eliwood in surprise again. What was going through the young lord's head? If he wasn't careful, he'd end up with a knife in his back. She would have protested, but at that moment Matthew signaled them to begin moving. Gripping her lance, Fiora brought up the rear. For now, at least, she would protect this foolish lord and his foolish belief. So she could see the knife coming.

"Erk, over there." Lyn pointed. Just through a small break in the wall, Erk could make out the silhouette of the man Lyn was pointing to. With a swift read of his tome, he fired a blast of thunder straight into the figure, which dropped to the ground with a soft thud.

"Pull back." Florina whispered. They quickly complied as the sounds of rushing feet could be heard. Seconds later, there were the concerned sounds of other voices before a large battle cry told them Hector's force had arrived to handle the clean-up.

"They shouldn't have moved from their position." Lyn muttered.

"One of them dropped from out of nowhere." Erk said calmly. "I think we can thank them for their concern in this instance."

Lyn and Florina giggled. "By the way..." Lyn began, eyeing Erk curiously. "What's with you and that Priscilla girl?"

"Lady Priscilla?' Erk asked. "I'm her guard. Why do you ask?"

"I know you're her guard." Lyn said. "The way she… I thought… hmm, maybe I was wrong." Lyn said, crossing her arms. "Sorry if I was prying."

"You weren't." Erk said. "My contract was to protect Lady Priscilla on her journey. She has found one of the people she was looking for, but the others… I'm not entirely sure if she intends to continue."

"Why would you say that?" Florina asked.

"Priscilla's family let her go on this journey only after she accepted a large number of conditions." Erk explained. "One of them was my guard. Another was a time limit. When my contract expires... they expect her to be returned."

"When does the contract expire?" Lyn asked.

"By my estimate… another three months from now." Erk said. "Not a lot of time, I know."

"What will you do?" Florina asked.

"Well, Priscilla hasn't required much of my service as of late." Erk said softly, as they came to a halt. Lyn checked around the next corner, peering into the inky blackness for their prey. "I suppose once this is done I'll ask if she required my services any further. Then, I'll take her home if need be. After that, I was considering helping Will and Canas with developing a new theory of magic."

"A new theory…" Lyn muttered. "I haven't heard anything about that."

"Not surprising." Erk said. "Will would keep it under wraps until he knew it would work. That way he could reveal it and impress you."

"Me?" Lyn asked, surprised. "Why me?"

"Well, I was referring to the group as a whole." Erk admitted. "Unless… you and he are…"

"They're not!" Florina cut in quickly. An awkward silence fell.

"Perhaps it's best to continue." Erk said, after a few minutes had passed.

Silently, the other two agreed.

"I am Teodor the Shrike, of the Black Fang. Come, master tactician, I know you and your little attack team are there." The man said cheerfully, before blasting away a section of wall.

"Dear me." Renault said, raising his staff off the ground to avoid the rubble. "Quite the rude fellow, aren't you?"

"Turning the elder arts into nothing more than dark imaginings…" Canas growled, his robe fluttering as he began to channel his magic. "You're despicable!"

"You fail to understand…" Teodor said, the dark arts in his own hands forming as well, at a much faster rate. "The world is all about power!"

Renault's expression darkened. "No, it's not." With a flourish, he placed his staff against the wall, pulling a Shine Tome from beneath his robes. "I shall show you the light."

Cana's flux spell mashed against Teodor's, the two focusing mostly on each other as Canas poured everything he could into the attack. Even so, his power was nowhere near Teodor's. "Lightning!" Will shouted.

The blast of light hit the dark mage in the face, enough to make the man stagger, his spell losing a small bit of power as Canas barely managed to match the spell, both vanishing into the floor. Teodor turned to the tactician, a sickening grin spreading across his face as Canas collapsed on the floor in exhaustion. "Poor little William. Even now, you continue to walk into the jaws of death. How much longer can luck such as yours hold?"

"Shine." Renault said calmly. With a scream, Teodor was torn apart. The light bullet tore away chunks of him at a time, until naught remained but a pile of flesh.

Will fell to the floor and vomited. The sight, the smell, it was all far too much for him to handle all at once.

"May St. Elimine forgive me for the sin I have committed." Renault said calmly, returning the tome beneath his robe.

"Who… who are you?" Will asked, incredulously.

"A man who has committed many sins." Renault said softly. "And is trying his utmost to repent."

"Will, are you okay?" Hector asked, helping the tactician to his feet.

Will nodded, though he gripped firmly onto Hector's arm. "Ninian. She should be inside that room."

"She's there." Renault reported, emerging from the very room Will was talking about.

Hector grimaced. Will was shaky, Canas was asleep on the ground, but this man seemed completely unaffected. It was not a very comforting sight. "Then why isn't she with you?"

"There's a library full of ancient texts. I found her staring at a picture. I thought it wrong to forcefully drag her away from it." Renault explained.

"Ancient texts?" Canas shouted, springing to his feet as if he hadn't been entirely unconscious a moment before. Without waiting for an answer, he rushed inside.

"Will! Are you alright?" Lyn asked, finally catching up to the main group.

"Will! Hector! Lyndis! I'm glad to see you all safe!" Eliwood exclaimed, emerging from a passage himself.

After sharing quick words, the rest of the group set about making a fire. Not only did they need to burn the bodies, they needed to cook a meal and have some warmth. The night was truly set in now, and exhaustion was on all of their minds. They needed to rest. Even so Will, Eliwood, Hector, Lyn, Renault and Wallace entered the library behind Canas. Wallace came just to make sure everything was safe.

"This picture…" Eliwood marveled, standing in front of the image. Ninian also stood there, her gaze fixed firmly on the image.

"A dragon and a human?" Will wondered.

"Is this… from the Scouring or something?" Hector asked, confused. "We've got a lot of paintings like that in Castle Ostia, but this is… different from those."

"There's no fighting." Lyn noted. "Most depictions of the Scouring are of the eight heroes, or humans fighting the dragons. This is just… a human and a dragon… it's eerie."

"Did it belong to the dark sorcerer who lived here?" Eliwood asked.

"We'll never know now." Renault said calmly. "Though if I'm right in my assumption, he wouldn't have told us even if you'd asked."

"Ninian." Eliwood said, placing a hand on the young woman's shoulder. "Are you well?"

As if being roused from a dream, Ninian shook her head, turning to Eliwood in surprise. "Oh… yes. I'm… I'm sorry for the trouble."

"Does this place hold some part of your memory?" Lyn asked. "Did you remember something?"

"There's…" Ninian began, before falling silence. She shook her head. "No. Nothing. I'm sorry."

"Don't push yourself." Eliwood assured kindly. "You'll remember soon enough."

Ninian nodded. Will let out a relieved sigh. "Let's help everyone else set up camp then. We need to eat, and then rest. We'll have to travel back to the Dragon's Gate tomorrow."

"I'm sorry for this." Ninian said, bowing her head.

"It's fine, Ninian." Will replied. "I'm just glad you're safe."