Author's Note: Fire Emblem belongs to Nintendo.
Fire Emblem:
Blazing Sword of Justice
Chapter Three: Hazy Memories
The dance of orange and yellow flames entranced Faren as she stared into the fire pit on the fifth night of the journey. The fire crackled and popped, sending a few embers out on the damp grass. The embers glowed brightly for a moment before dying out, becoming ashes. The light of the fire was the only source of light on the plains of Sacae that night, for clouds covered the bright stars that were a comfort to travelers.
Faren sighed and gazed across the fire at Sain, who was polishing his green armor and winking at his reflection in it. Lyndis and Kent had gone hunting for food and also to make sure there were no bandits in the area. Sain and Faren were in charge of putting up the two tents and making the fire. Simple thick-clothed tents stood on either side of the fire, one behind each person. To the east, the dark plains of Sacae looked very grim, unlike the happy place during the day. The west of the campsite was the forest, where Faren could hear the voices of Kent and Lyn faintly. The large pile of wood stacked neatly to one side while the four horses had all gathered themselves in small clearing, Renegade seeming to be glaring at Sain the entire time.
Faren chuckled at Renegade, which caught Sain's attention. "And what is Milady finding funny now?" The green knight asked smoothly, setting his armor back down. Faren waved her hand as if to wave his question away. "Oh...nothing, sir knight."
Sain grinned across the fire at her, dressed only in his loose, thick green under-shirt and tanned pants. "You know, Milady Faren...you are even more mysterious than Lady Lyndis. You never speak of yourself. It tugs at my mind with curiosity abound."
"There's nothing to talk about," She said simply, returning his grin. Unconsciously, her hand went to her sapphire pendant about her neck. Sain saw the movement and stood up, walking to her and kneeling before her. He gazed into her eyes as he took her free hand. "I think there is something the lady wishes to speak of. Perhaps all she needs is a friendly ear or a shoulder to cry on..."
Faren smiled politely at Sain, starting to feel uncomfortable at his nearness. But thankfully that ended as a red armored fist came into contact with the top of Sain's head. She laughed as Sain howled and stood, putting his hands to his head. "Kent! You rogue!"
Kent looked disapprovingly at Sain, holding two dead rabbits in his hands. "I asked you to guard the camp and lady Faren, not to make a move on her, you lout."
"I was not making a move," Sain insisted, scooting back over to his side of the fire and sitting on the log, still rubbing the tender spot on his head. "I was merely curious about Lady Faren's pendant.."
At that, Faren shoved her pendant back behind her cloak and jumped up with a smile as Lyn appeared, holding a bag full of edible berries. "Lyn! Did you find anyone around here?"
Lyndis smirked at Kent and Sain arguing, and then walked over to Faren, setting the bag of berries down between them. "There were signs of someone being here not too long ago...but I think we don't have anything to worry about. Have some berries, Faren. They're not poisonous."
She nodded and reached greedily into the bag. Popping one of the blue berries in her mouth, her gaze wandered over to Sain and Kent, still arguing. This time though, Sain had one of the dead rabbits on a stick, and pretended to make it hop. Faren laughed as well as Lyn, who had said something to Kent that made him sigh.
Faren looked down at her hands. Each one of them has something to make the journey easier, Faren thought. Sain has his humor, Kent has his seriousness, and Lyn has a comforting tone. All I have...is a false cheeriness, and memories lost in a fog. Faren closed her eyes as a memory played in her mind's eye.
A young Faren, dressed in a noble girl's dress of blue, held hands with two people, one on each side of her. Their appearances and dress were indiscernible, but the face of the young girl was filled with joy. Faren could never make out the surroundings, just a blanket of fog, that covered the two others there. As another person appeared before the trio, she saw the hands leave her and push her toward this person. Shocked and scared, the girl flailed before falling into the stranger's dark robes.
"Faren? Faren?" Lyn's concerned voice shook her out of the memory fog. She opened her eyes and looked at Lyn's concerned expression beside her, aquamarine eyes filled with worry. Across the fire, the two knights were also looking at her, Sain now eating the cooked rabbit he was playing with earlier while the other still roasted on the fire.
She blinked and laughed loudly and embarrassed. "Oh! Must've dozed off there for a second!!" Sain returned to greedily chomping his rabbit, Kent looking away to scold him for not having manners. Lyn pulled back, still looking at Faren in concern. "Okay, Faren...if that's all. If you want, you can go ahead and go to sleep..."
She shook her head, pulling her cloak close as she felt a wet breeze blow. She looked up and noted that a nightly fog was beginning to roll in. Surrounded in fog again, She thought. She smiled sadly. I shouldn't burden them with the knowledge that I don't know my own past. We're here for Lyn, not me. And I won't make it about myself.
She looked back at Lyn who was looking at the Mani Katti. It had only been that afternoon when she obtained the sacred sword of Sacae. "I can't believe this is really my sword," She heard Lyn murmur.
"It's not so strange, Lady Lyndis," Kent spoke over the crackling fire, poking it with a stick. "In fact, in Lycia, many legends tell similar tales...special blades all over the land call out to their proper owners."
"Hmm.." Was Lyn's reply. A noisy slurping sound came from Sain's direction, which warranted a groan from Kent. "Think of this way, Milady: Some weapons feel more comfortable in your hand, right? Well, the Mani Katti itself feels very comfortable with you. Does that make it easier?"
Lyn finally nodded, sheathing the sparkling blade. "I can understand that. Thank you Sain, Kent." Lyn plucked the roasted rabbit from the edge of the fire and offered a piece to Faren. She accepted and nibbled on it, feeling a little bad that she was eating rabbit. She glanced over at Renegade, who was eyeing her almost jealously. She patted the ebony horse on his head. "Sorry, Ren. You can't have rabbit."
Suddenly Renegade nickered loudly, throwing his head around. He stamped his hooves on the ground, the other horses repeating his motions. Faren jumped up, trying to calm him. "Renegade! What's wrong?" The others had just risen to their feet when Faren heard a deep throated chuckle. "Look out! Bandits!"
As the other three drew their weapons, Kent heard something whistling in the air. "Duck, everyone!" He shouted. But it was too late, for the object in question, a rock, had hit Lyn soundly upon the head. With a soft groan, she fell to the earth, blood dripping from her emerald hair. Faren rushed to her friend's side, with Sain and Kent on either side. "She's okay," Faren said, examining the wound on Lyn's head. "You two get on your horses. We need to chase these bandits away."
The knights nodded in agreement and swiftly mounted Pearl and Gavin. Faren dragged Lyn's limp and heavy body to where Renegade and Rain were, feeling somewhat safe between the strong horses' legs. Renegade's ears were pushed to his head as he snorted angrily, ready to challenge anyone. Rain echoed his actions, both looking very formidable on their own.
As Faren held Lyn's limp body, Kent and Sain circled the campsite on horseback slowly, each with a sword drawn. Without warning, three bandits fell from the sky, one near Faren and the horses, the other two where Sain and Kent stood.
"Damn!" The bandit near Faren cursed. "You blokes hit a woman instead of one of the men. No matter. Kill the men!" He bent down near Faren, sneering at her under his dirty auburn hair. "You're coming with us, girly."
Renegade had a different idea, as he slammed into the boss bandit's side. With a surprised cry, he fell over on his side, his blade skittering towards the fire. "Good job, Renegade!" Faren cried, and glanced over where Sain and Kent were. They seemed to have their hands full. Kent parried a blow with an axe man before swinging his sword toward the man's throat. The man leaned back, barely missing the death blow. Sain also faced an axe man, jabbing the unfortunate fellow in the gut before turning toward Faren. "I'm coming, Faren!"
The boss bandit sneered as he reached for his sword. "You're too late, boy!" As he turned to swing down on Faren and Lyn, he stopped. Blood dripped from his mouth as he slowly looked down at his side, the Mani Katti stuck deep as blood gushed out.
Faren held Lyn's shoulders, who was shaking and panting, the blood still falling from her head. Both hands gripped the Mani Katti's hilt tightly, her eyes glared angrily at the man in front of her.
"Ugrrgh..." Were the man's final words before collapsing to the earth. A scream from the other side of camp echoed his leader's cry. Sain and Kent rushed to Lyn's side, who had collapsed back into Faren's arms.
The morning sun filtered through the holes in the tent doors flaps as Faren gently bandaged Lyn's head. Lyn sighed, holding the Mani Katti in her lap. "I can't believe we missed those three when we scouted last night."
Faren reassured Lyn. "Bandits are crafty fellows. They can hide in the darkness. Who knows how many people they've done that to. At least we've made the plains a little safer for any other travelers."
Lyn smiled. Faren finished rolling the bandage around Lyn's head and placed it back in her satchel. Lyn raised a hand to feel the bandage around her head. "You're good at first aid, Faren. You must have experience in it."
Faren paused for a moment before putting her satchel back on. "Do you think so?"
Lyn nodded, standing up to attach the Mani Katti to her belt. "Of course...so...do you?"
She paused before answering, facing away from Lyn. "I don't know." She adjusted her cloak around her shoulders before turning back to Lyn, who stared at her with wide eyes. "You don't know? You mean...you have...oh, Faren.."
Faren held up a finger, looking sternly at Lyndis. Lyn, never seeing such a look on her tactician's face, blinked in surprise. "This doesn't change anything, Lyn. This journey is about you, not me. I won't let you change it. I said what I said because I didn't want to lie and say I did have training, because I don't know if I do have training and that's the honest truth." The playful grin appeared back on the young girl's face, her hands going to her hips. "The knights don't have to know if you don't want to tell them. In fact, it's probably better so Sain won't come up with new ways to hit on me." Lyn smiled a little. "Okay, Faren..." She rolled up her sleeping pallet, tying it tightly. "But I never would have guessed you had amnesia...no wonder you avoid talks about your past."
Faren simply smiled as she grabbed her own tied up pallet. "Let's go, Lyn. We have to get moving or we'll waste the day away."
Out in the campsite, the knights were attaching their things to their horses, the fire snuffed out and covered and their tent already down. At seeing them emerge from their tent, Sain rushed over with a big smile. "Ladies! Allow me the honor of taking your tent down." Lyn thanked Sain and walked over to Rain, patting her on the head. Kent looked over at Lyn in concern. "Lady Lyndis...are you sure you want to go on today? We can rest if you do not feel like riding.."
Lyn shook her head, attaching the bags and pallet behind Rain's saddle. "No...Faren was right. We need to hurry. To see my grandfather." She smiled at the young girl, who was patting Renegade's head. He nuzzled back against her hand and licked it gently. Lyn mounted Rain, gently stroking the horses' mane. Faren did the same, rubbing Renegade's ears. Sain eagerly attached the rolled up tent behind Faren and winked up at her before rushing over to his own horse.
Faren chuckled and eased Renegade into a trot. She clasped the amulet around her neck. Aside from the jewelry she wore and the frequent flashes of foggy memories, the other clues she had to her past was the horse she rode as well as her strange ease directing on the battlefield. When Lyn's journey is over, that's when I'll continue looking for clues, She thought. The road to Lycia and Caelin will span at least a month's time. Who knows what trouble we'll get into on the way. Renegade trotted after Lyn and Kent, with Sain bringing up the rear.
Slash89slash & SandyCaesar: Thanks for your reviews. I know it's not that different from other novelizations. I wasn't even planning on writing this fic, but after replaying the Blazing Sword, I couldn't get it out of my head. I've only skimmed a few other novelizations and didn't like the way they were heading, so that just pushed me to write my own. I hope you stick around for the ending.