Disclaimer: I don't own Fire Emblem.
Author's Note: If you've read my profile, you probably know I haven't had electricity since my last update. If you're smart, you'll probably guess why. Well, here it is people. I got it back today, and I wrote the next chapter in commemoration. Enjoy!
The sharp clang of metal tangling with metal rang in the mountain range. The enemy horse snorted as the Bern cavalier pulled back on the reigns, forcing him back. Florina flew high above him, javelin in hand. Swooping low enough to hurl it but still far out of the enemy's range, she aimed the tip carefully. So much could go wrong when throwing such a weapon, and it was crucial that she hit him in just the right spot.
It flew through the air like a silent missile. It would have hit the steed's neck, had the rider not veered so sharply to the left that the creature almost fell over. Instead, it landed on a soft patch of grass, jutting out. Now Florina was about weaponless. Lyn had promised to teach her how to wield swords, but the lessons had been rare, and Florina was not yet ready to use them on the battlefield.
Her enemy knew what that in order to retrieve her lance, she would have to fly close, and that would be when he made his move. She realized this as well. She would just have to be faster.
Forcing Huey towards him, she leaned over and grabbed the javelin, which was sticking out of the earth at a crooked angle. Her pegasus then turned up, fleeing from her enemy until she could make another safe shot, but she was not quick enough. She did not see it, but she knew that his own lance jabbed into the leg of her precious Huey.
Huey went crazy, kicking his legs wildly. He nearly lost his balance in the air, but Florina steadied him. He calmed down mostly, but with one final kick of his wounded leg, his hoof connected sharply with the enemy's jaw, resulting in a sickening crunch. It did not push him off his horse, but it gave Florina the opportunity she needed to attack him. With a single hit, she stabbed him in the stomach, causing him to slip off his horse, and the steed ran off without him.
With a sigh, Florina and Huey drifted towards the ground. The pegasus immediately began licking it's wound as Florina slid off his back. She searched her bag for a vulnerary, but to her dismay, she found that she forgot to stock up before the battle.
To the north, she could the high screeches of wyvern riders, and she prayed to Elimine that they would not find her here. For the most part, the battle seemed to settle down, but there were still enemies afoot, and all of her comrades were engaged in fierce combat.
"Priscilla," Florina croaked, trying to catch the attention of the sole healer on duty this day. Her throat was dry and scratchy, but her pegasus was wounded and needed care soon, or he might be crippled for life, as Florina feared. The red-haired beauty looked towards her, and she began to ride over, when a familiar cry caught her ears. Florina recognized the groan as Kent. She looked over to see him collapse as an ominous wyvern flew off. Priscilla changed course and quickly rode to his aid.
Florina tried to see if Kent would be alright, but a shadow loomed over her instead. She looked up at a towering brute, axe in hand, giving her a twisted grin.
"Ain't you a purty one," He cooed. "Pity I got to gut you." Florina whimpered, and she reached over for her javelin. She could fight on foot if necessary. He laughed at the sight of her defensive position, and he obviously noticed her fear. "Yep, I'm going to gut you like a fish. Ooh, you won't be so purty no more. You'd-" His eyes widened and fell to him knees as Sain stood over him, a sword in hand. Blood gushed out of a back wound.
"Fool, that was almost too easy," Sain mused. The bandit tried to fight back. He grasped the hand of his axe and swung blindly at Sain, who had his horse step calmly aside before finishing the job.
"Huey…he needs a…a-a," Florina was at a loss for words. Sain seemed to understand as he gave her his own vulnerary. She nodded her thanks and at once began to apply the medicine. Most people assumed that vulnerarys were simply for human use, but riders of all beasts had discovered they worked well for animals as well.
"Vaida fled," Hector's voice roared over the sounds of the battle. "We have been victorious!" The few remaining soldiers looked unconvinced until a wyvern knight flew over the mountains to tell them so. Mark came up and told the fighters to let them go.
"We can't afford to have anymore injuries," He panted. "Priscilla, get Kent back to camp as fast as possible. Assemble the other healers. Everyone else use vulnerarys for the time being. There seem to be no other major injuries, correct?" The weary soldiers nodded. Priscilla attempted to lift the unconscious Kent onto her mare while Marcus led the horse away, but she was not strong enough.
"Ah, I should go help the beautious maiden, should I not?" Sain declared. "Kent is my best friend, and she is a gorgeous girl." He looked down at Florina.
"Yeah…don't, um, compliment her, though," Florina said, giving him his first piece of advice.
"Why not?" Sain asked.
"Well…er, you see," Florina searched around for just the right words. "She'd…admire it more if you were, uh, trying to help your friend more than hit on her." A look of understanding dawned on his face.
"I see," He smiled and trotted towards the ailing damsel. Florina watched him go before walking alongside Huey as he limped back. She could tell that his injury would heal; Sain came in the knick of time. It would hurt him to walk for a while, but at the moment, Florina guessed he was much more tired from flying so much.
Upon entering camp, Florina was nearly attacked by a very worried Fiora.
"You were supposed to be on watch duty, not a full scale battle," Fiora gasped as she saw Huey's leg. "Are you alright? Huey looks awful. You should get one of the healers to take care of it. Except they're busy. I heard them come into camp fussing over someone. I prayed it wasn't you."
"I'm a knight; I can do this, Fiora," Florina protested. Fiora nodded and sighed.
"I know, it's just…old habits are hard to break," She said. "So what happened out there?"
"Well, Kent sustained a serious injury bu-"
"What? Is that who the healers were taking care of? What happened? Is he going to die?" Fiora, the classic worrywart, started rambling on a completely new series of inquiries to his health, barely giving Florina a moment to answer.
"I-I think it was a wyvern rider," She explained, cutting Fiora off. It was a rare moment when Fiora was concerned about someone in the same manner she worried over Florina. "I-it came up, um, behind maybe?" Fiora turned her head away, making it difficult for Florina to judge her expression. Not that she was any good at that anyways. "Maybe, er, maybe you should go, and, um, see, or uh, check on him," Florina suggested.
"That's a good idea," Fiora admitted and rushed off without another word towards the healer's tent. Sain came from the same direction, at a slower and more casual pace. An amused smile hinted at the corners of his mouth as he watched Fiora run past him.
"So, um, h-how bad is it?" Florina ventured to ask.
"Hm? Oh, it's a bad wound to his abdominal area, but with all that magic they're expending on him, he should pull through," Sain said. "It's nice how we all pull together to save one life, eh?" Florina pressed a smile on her lips, but she did not respond. After a still moment, she turned to leave, but Sain clamped a hand down on her shoulder. Her pulse immediately quickened from the contact. Sain was a still a man, no matter what their contract was.
"Y-yeah?"
"I bit back every flattering comment in store, and Priscilla took me seriously," He told her. "You know, a while back, she was coming on to me until someone told her some story about how I pay that kind of attention to every lady, and to an extent, I suppose it's true. My curse, you could say. But today she looked at me seriously for the first time since she heard that."
"Um," She attempted to weasel her way out of his grasp. He let go and stepped away.
"I'm just saying thank you," He said.
"You-you're welcome," She squeaked.
Author's Note: Thank you everyone who reviewed! Keep it up people! (And try living a week under a boil water order with no stove to boil water on. It's so hard!)