FYI: Well, I wasn't going to put this chapter in originally because it doesn't focus on the Fire Emblem characters that much. If you've read my other fics, I've usually spent some chapters talking about my OC's past (well, in this one, tactician isn't really an OC, but since they don't show the tactician much, I treat him/her as an OC). Besides, it's pretty interesting in what kind of history you can create for the tactician.

Ya know, I think that my stories aren't really fanfiction, they usually focus on the OC in the world.

N E ways, I thank you for reading on, reading about my tactician.

My tactician's love life, her past, and why she became a tactician in the first place will be thrown in the future chapters now.

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Chapter 4: Bayle

Caden woke up the next day, rejuvenated, and she walked out of the room. Ironically, when she opened the door, she saw the young trainee, Bayle. "Oh, I start my day with THIS person." Caden doesn't really want any enemies, nor does she like it when somebody's mad at her, so she tried to say sorry to Bayle. But why would she be the one to say sorry? He was the one who stormed out when he lost. When she looked at Bayle, he still had that glint of disgust on his face when he looked at her.

"Um… Good… Good morning, Bayle. Um… about yesterday-"

"Don't remind me. In fact, don't even mention it at all!" he snapped.

"But… I'm-"

"Keep it to yourself. I don't want to hear it."

"I'm so-"

"Just… shut up."

They stared at each other for a while. He ended their conversation by walking away. Obviously, he was still mad about his defeat. Caden tried to forget what happened just now, and she walked around the castle; she passed by some familiar people, like the trainees from yesterday. She walked to the training room and saw Bayle, attacking a straw dummy. Each hit that connected with the dummy, made the dummy swing back. She even saw that every time he swung his sword at it, a chunk of the straw would fly out. "Anger management…" Caden thought to herself, "This must be HIS form of anger management. No wonder he's not good with his temper… or good on his obedience."

"Caden! I was just looking for you!" Sain said from behind.

Caden quickly turned around and she almost lost her balance. Sain caught her before she fell.

"Have you fallen for me, already?" Sain joked. (1)

"Sain… both you and I know that that is one of the worst lines that you used on a woman."

He laughed, "Yes, I know… but alas, there are no lines that I have that can express your beauty, and your talent, Miss Caden."

Sain let her go when Caden regained her balance.

"There's no need to call me 'miss,' Sain. We're friends, and I'm not a higher rank than you either. And… that's very flattering."

"Of course, I shall listen to your words, just like how I would listen to your commands on the battlefield. By the way, why is it that you knew how to use a sword, but you weren't on the front lines when we were at war?"

"It's a simple answer, really. It would be difficult for me to give out commands and fight at the same time. It would put me at a disadvantage, it being that I have to look out for the enemy in front of me; I would get distracted if I had to give other people orders while I am fighting. I wouldn't be working and thinking to the best of my abilities."

"Yes, I see why now. Who taught you how to use a sword?"

"I… um… I taught myself. I was observing everyone else's techniques as everyone was fighting. When the battle was over and we had time to relax, I would secretly try to imitate their footwork, and put it all together to make my own technique."

"You must have been doing that often to make your own."

"Yes… five years of ascertaining different swords skills. I have some techniques from Lord Eliwood, Guy, Lady Lyn, you, Kent, and all the other swordfighters in the army."

"Being a tactician has its advantages then, am I right?"

"Of course… one of those advantages is why I became a tactician in the first place."

"I see… so who's was the first technique that you imitated?"

"Hm… funny you should bring that up… I first learned how to use a sword because of… Bayle."

Still Caden was choking on the word when she said "Bayle" and Sain was there to find out why.

"So… why is Bayle such a different name from other names?"

"Because… it is… it's such a cruel name!" she retorted, "I can't believe a per-…name so beautiful can… can…" (2)

"Can what?"

She cleared her throat, "Ahem… never mind that… I almost lost myself, sorry. Sorry Sain, I know what you're trying to do. You're trying to pry into my life… I just don't feel like talking about… him… right now."

"How can you tell that I was?"

"I'm a strategist. I'm supposed to figure out what's going on and everything. It was a nice try, but not good enough. Please excuse me, Sain."

She walked away from Sain; Sain didn't try to follow her either. Was coming to Caelin a mistake? All she's ever thinking about now was that person, in good ways and bad ways. To try to get her mind off of him, she walked through the castle garden, looking at the healthy flowers and the bright green leaves and bushes. She thought that nature got her mind off of things. She's been traveling for so long, that staying inside a building was boring for her. She felt like training, but training made her think a lot. She spotted a stone bench as she was walking. She thought that looking at the nature of the bushes moving in the slight wind could probably calm her down a little. She took her seat, and looked at the bushes. After a while, she closed her eyes.

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Caden was on her way to Sacae. She only started her trip about a week ago, so she was still in Etruia. She was walking past the edge of the forest, and she saw a person who looked like a sword-for-hire He looked pretty bad as well, he was covered in dirt, cuts and bruises everywhere, and he was just… sitting, on a tree stump. He confirmed her suspicion when he looked up at her. It looked like he had a hard time even lifting up his head. Judging by his face, this sword-for-hire looked very young; about a little older than Caden, perhaps. He wasn't sleeping, he was so badly beat and tired that he couldn't move.

"Do you need any help?" Caden asked.

"Yes… please…" he answered weakly. He even looked like it was hard for him to speak.

Caden had an elixir with her for emergency purposes. She didn't need to use it on herself, so she offered it to him since he needed it more than her. Of course, she didn't know if he had any medical supplies on him, but if he did, he would have used it on him already, right?

"Can you hold the elixir?"

He tried lifting up his hand, but his strength gave out and his hand fell to the ground.

"You must have been out here for a while, haven't you?" Caden rhetorically questioned.

He looked too weak to hold the elixir, lift his own head, and drinking it himself so… Caden had no choice. She decided to help him drink it by… yes, passing it through her mouth.

--Caden's POV—

I've never kissed a person before. I have family, but we would kiss each other on the cheek when it came to me. They knew I was… conservative. I wanted to wait for that first kiss, but… dammit, why do I want to help this guy! He's taking my first kiss! I got it; I won't believe it as my first kiss, that's all. I poured some of the elixir's content into my mouth. I looked at him and kneeled down. Then, I reluctantly pressed my lips against his to transfer the elixir to him. Right after the contents left my mouth, I immediately pulled away. I was red in the face after, and even before, I had to do that.

He looked like he was regaining his strength. Thank Elimine; I did NOT want to do that again! He opened his eyes easier this time and he tried lifting himself up from the tree stump. He looked like he was struggling and hi strength was coming little by little, so I helped him up.

"Th-Thank you… um…"

"My name is Caden. You're welcome..."

"My name is Bayle."

"Hm… Bayle, that name suits you well."

"Haha, I can tell you not only like the name, but the person who has the name," he joked.

I blushed again by the comment he just made. "I-I-I-I-Uh… No! That's not it! I-I wanted to… help you, that's all! Uhm… that was… my… first kiss… I don't uhm… at first… I didn't want to… do that."

He smiled and looked at me, "Haha, you're cute when you're nervous. Don't worry; it was my first kiss as well."

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"Ah! Get out of my head already!" Caden mentally yelled. Right now, she felt like ripping her skull open and giving herself a lobotomy so she could forget. She clenched her fists and she looked pretty mad too. Looks like looking at nature didn't help her one bit.

"Is… Is everything alright, Caden?" Florina asked as she was walking towards her. Caden quickly turned her head to look at her, she still looked mad. The tactician looked down and let out a big sigh.

"Everything is alright, Florina. Sorry about that, I'm not mad at you, I was just thinking about something… something that I should seriously forget."

Caden tried to calm down; so she stood up and started to walk away, passing Florina.

"Um… wait… Caden!"

She stopped and looked back at Florina, "Yes?"

"I was um… wondering… what were you thinking about? I… I want to talk to you… you know… as… as friends…"

Caden sighed. Usually she was the one to ask to talk to her.

"I guess she's trying to be less shy. Of course, I'll talk to you," she said as she was trying to form a smile.

Caden sat back down on the bench, and Florina occupied the other space of the bench. The tactician looked down again and let out another sigh. She really tried to calm down… a lot.

"What's… what's made you so angry all of a sudden?" Florina asked.

"I was thinking… about Bayle… not this trainee Bayle here… the one… that I knew five years ago."

"Was he someone important to you?"

"Sain just somehow asked me that question a while ago too," Caden chuckled, "I guess that you guys won't leave me alone unless I tell you then, haha."

"Sain asked you too? I… I didn't know that. I just wanted to learn more about you."

"You timid, lady," Caden laughed, "I wonder that if I'll tell you, you'll tell Lady Lyn. No worries, I don't care if you tell her. I think it's better if I tell you than Sain.

"Well, Bayle is… was a swordsman. I met him in a rather funny way…"

Caden told her story to Florina, and she ended when Bayle regained his strength.

"Well, another day, another story. I'll stop right here."

"That does sound like a funny way to meet someone."

"Yes, after he got over joking, it was a real wonder how coincidental we have gotten to meet. I told him that I was going to Sacae, and he said that he was going in that same direction, too. And, so… that's how we became friends."

"I see," Florina replied

"Ah, there you are, Florina," interrupted a guard walking through the garden, "Lady Lyndis wishes to speak with you."

"Al…Alright…"

Caden noticed that the only guards that talked to Florina were female. She mentally chuckled seeing that it might take a real long time for her to get over her arrhenphobia. (3)

"Um… it was nice talking to you again, Caden."

Caden smiled, "No problem. You can talk to me anytime you like."

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End of Chapter 4: Bayle.

Err… uhm… no questions of suspense this time, haha. Please read the next chapter.

Author's notes:

Sigh... sadly to say, I don't know a lot about relationships. I've never had a boyfriend, therefore, I've never been kissed, haha. So, by experience, I don't know how relationships come and go. I can only go by what I hear and what I read.

1)sarcastic laugh I don't know why I had to put that lame pun, but Sain is full of his own energetic flattery, and I don't know how to show it, since I'm not a good poet.

2) Well, I looked online at this website showing the name's meanings, and it said that Bayle means "beautiful." I kinda had to mention that some way.

3) I looked online and it said that arrhenophobia means the fear of men. I hope it means that… or someone just made it up… oh well.

Three reviews please before next Monday!