Author's Note: Fire Emblem belongs to Nintendo.

Fire Emblem:

Blazing Sword of Justice

Chapter 6: In the Shadows of Occupation

Sain groaned in frustration as Wil smiled nonchalantly over his hand of cards. A pile of gold along with a deck of cards sat between the two men who were on opposite sides of the simple bed they sat on. Sain rubbed his head in frustration, starting angrily at his current hand, consisting of a three of a kind of low numbers. This will not do at all, damn it! Wil, on the other hand, had a terrific bluffing face: He kept the same smile on his face no matter what card he drew. He only had a pair to his bluffing smile, but to see Sain twist as he did was more satisfactory after watching him flirt with Faren and Florina at dinner.

Kent sighed at the two men, slumped down in a chair across the room. His armor off, polished, and placed delicately by his bed; the knight had nothing better to do than watch the two gambling fools. Kent tugged at his thick red undershirt, wishing for something to do. His thoughts began to turn to Lyn, the noble woman he and Sain had gone to guard no more than twelve days ago. He had warned Sain repeatedly to not let his feelings become a burden to the young Sacaen noble. Alas, if only he had taken his own advice...

BAM! BAM! BAM! BAM!

Kent jerked out of his reverie and jumped to his feet. The other two men looked up curiously at the door, but made no move to answer it. Kent quickly walked up and opened the door to find a harried looking Faren without her cloak. She burst into the room, colliding with Kent. A startled gasp escaped Kent's lips as he gripped Faren's arms and gently held her. "Milady Faren, is something the matter?!"

Wil scrambled off the bed, dropping his hand of cards and gold as he rushed to Faren and Kent's sides, looking concerned. "Faren?" Sain stood up also as Faren quickly recanted what Florina had spoken next-door only moments ago.

"Kent! It's terrible! Bandits are attacking the town! Get your armor on and come quick!" She pushed herself off Kent and dashed back out the door in the direction of the stairs. A moment later, a blur of emerald green followed Faren, which Kent knew to be Lady Lyn!

"Quickly, men!" He shouted to Wil and Sain as he furiously attached his armor back in place. Wil snapped up his bow and arrows, running out the door before attaching the quiver to his usual place on the belt. "Faren! Wait up!"

As Sain grabbed his lance and sword, he spied Wil's hand of cards on the ground. With a grimace and a sigh of disgust, Sain charged out the door after Wil with Kent on his heels, shouting, "Wil, you dastard archer! You ripped me of a hundred gold!"

Outside the inn, the town was a pandemonium. Snarling bandits chased after the defenseless that had taken to the street out of panic. One of the burly brutes had a torch in his hands, and grinning manically, threw it into the house's window that was next to the inn. At the sound of a scream from the inside, a family of four burst from the burning house. With a cackling laugh, the bandit raised his sword into the air and charged after the group that was left to run helplessly through the dark streets.

A stray spark flew from the rapidly burning house onto the roof of stables that belonged to the inn. As the temperature increased and the flames multiplied, the horses began to whinny loudly, knocking against the walls in futile effort. Huey, Florina's Pegasus, tried desperately to flap his wings to escape the flame, but found the small quarters rather confining. Renegade, Faren's horse, reared up on his hind legs and pounded against his stall door with all his might. However, the inn had chosen a sturdy oak wood, and it held strong against Renegade's poundings.

Faren burst through the inn doors into the night air, watching with horror as a group of bandits dragged women through the streets. It was clear what they wanted as they turned into a nearby alley. Their screams grew higher as they disappeared in the blanket of blackness. Faren bit her lip and sniffed at the air. Smoke...?

At the sound of Renegade's shrill whinny, she quickly rushed over to the side of the inn where the stables were. A loud gasp erupted from Faren as the inn's stables were covered in flame. She could hear the cries of the other horses over the roar of flames, but the roof looked weak. It wouldn't last much longer. Rushing into the stables and over to the nearest stall, she quickly undid the lock with sweaty palms. Throwing the door open, she ran to the next stall as Rain galloped away from the heat.

As Faren struggled with the third lock, Sain's horse already having been set freed, Lyn ran out from the inn and thrust her sword into a nearby bandit's gut that was attempting to climb into the inn via a window. Howling in pain, he collapsed, dropping his iron axe to the ground. With a groan, Lyn lifted the heavy weapon and threw it as best as she could toward a bandit's head that was about to cut down a child. It sunk into his back with a loud sickening sound, and collapsed, allowing the child to escape into the inn behind her.

The others emerged from the inn as the child ran inside, shaking with fright. Sain and Kent had just enough time to pull their swords out when they were suddenly forced into a battle with three bandits along with Lyn. Wil and Florina slipped by to the stables, both gasping at the sight of the burning building.

"HUEY!" Florina cried out, tears pouring from her eyes as she clutched her lance tightly. At the sound of his own name though, he seemed to magically appear from the flames of the stables. "Oh, Huey!" Florina hugged her Pegasus quickly before mounting him. "L-let's go, Huey...we have to save the people..." With a flap of his wings, Wil was left to look up briefly after the Pegasus knight.

Grasping his bow, he ran toward the stables, glancing at some opened stalls. Who opened these? A loud whinny and a familiar cough above the flame and smoke gave him his answer. Peering through the smoky surroundings, Wil spied Faren's outline as she struggled with the last unopened stall: Renegade's.

Grabbing a handkerchief from his pocket and placing it over his mouth, Wil pushed his way through the smoke and fire, heading in Faren's direction. He screamed at Faren. "FAREN! WE HAVE TO GO NOW!!"

"Not without Renegade!" Was Faren's reply, coughing harder from smoke inhalation. She tugged harder on the lock, which had become stuck with Renengade's pounding upon the door. Wil groaned and started fumbling with the lock as well. Wil dropped his handkerchief and grabbed the hot lock with both of his gloved hands. With a groan of determination, he pulled with all his might.

Time seemed to slow down as he felt the lock give way in his hands. Looking through blurry, watery eyes, the black stallion charged out of his stall. Wil felt himself stumble backwards, but he could still see Faren and Renegade. Renegade suddenly knelt down partway, allowing the coughing Faren to mount him easier. The horse turned to look at Wil, his brown eyes staring at him intently with a strong air of intelligence that he had never seen before. He threw his head back, as if motioning for Wil to mount him. With a moment's hesitation, he quickly jumped up behind Faren, nervously putting his hands to her waist. Faren didn't respond, her hands to her mouth as she coughed as hard as she could, her whole body shaking. As the three escaped from the burning stable into the cool night, Wil glanced back briefly as the stable collapsed only moments after they left it.

Sighing a big sigh of relief and coughing a few times himself, he looked at Faren in concern who was still coughing. She waved her hand, motioning for Wil to dismount. "We...have to.." Faren coughed again, clutching her stomach. "Protect the villagers...get them into the inn...where it'll be safe."

Wil dismounted Renegade, still looking up at Faren in concern. "Faren...you should head into the inn yourself..." She shook her head and smiled her familiar smile at him. "There are people that need our help. Come on, Wil!" Easing Renegade into a trot toward the inn's front doors, Wil followed after with a sigh, placing an arrow on his bow.

In one of the upstairs rooms of the tavern, a young woman could hear the screams of her fellow villagers from outside. Dressed in a simple blue dress of commoners, she had hidden in one of the rooms with the help of her husband. A loose braid held her soft brown hair and her matching brown eyes were eyeing the window where she could hear the sounds of the street. Shakily, she climbed to her feet.

She winced, from both the howls and her right leg that was suddenly barraged with pain. Leaning against the far wall and shaking with fear, her doe-like brown eyes gazed upon the man that was blocking the door. His large frame filled the doorway, but he wasn't a portly man. No, The man with medium length red hair had large muscles all over his body, covered by a yellow muscle shirt and dark green pants. An axe in his right hand jammed into a rogue's chest that had just happened to make it up the stairs. With a growl, he threw the man's body aside and glanced back at the woman. His face looked harsh, but she knew it only came from age. There were beginnings of a beard on his chin, one that made him look even more rugged. His dark eyes were narrowed tightly underneath bushy red eyebrows, but to her she knew it meant no ill will toward her.

"Natalie..." The man spoke softly. "I promise you will be safe. I will not let them harm you for what I have foolishly brought upon us."

"Dorcas..." Natalie stared at her husband's back as his axe swung down on another marauder.

Meanwhile, Kent and Sain were tag teaming with a bandit duo that guarded the tavern's entrance. The first bandit swung his axe down to slice Kent's hand off, but missed as Kent parried expertly with his sword.. With a snarl, he glared at Kent before his face turned to fear. Kent looked at him puzzled before a javelin sunk into the man's throat. He fell backward dead.

Kent glanced up at the sky and saw Florina, nervously clutching Huey's mane in one hand and a lance in another. He nodded gratefully to her before she flew off, noticing the Hue was covered in soot. A scream of pain made him turn back as the second bandit grazed Sain's arm with his sword. Sain growled and sunk his lance into the man's stomach. As he pulled the lance out he winced in pain briefly before flashing a smile at Kent. "It's all good, my compatriot!"

Kent rolled his eyes as he stormed inside, gripping his sword tightly. He narrowed his eyes at the scene before him. Innocent patrons of the bar had been slain, their corpses strewn about in careless manner, blood pooling on the floor underneath them. He heard Sain beside him utter a gasp. He glanced back at the green knight, who was bandaging his arm. His eyes scanned the sight of broken tables, chairs, and bodies before glancing at Kent. "Kent...this is..."

"...I know, Sain...I know."

A female scream from upstairs made the two men jump and snap their heads up toward the ceiling. They could hear muffled speak and the clang of metal upon metal above their heads. With a quick glance at each other, they sprung toward the stairs opposite the room, dodging the corpses and praying that they were not too late.

Dorcas growled angrily, bearing down with all of his strength against the man that was slowly pushing him back. Their axes were locked in a deadlock against each other, but the intruder's strength seemed to be far superior to Dorcas'.

A evil chuckle escaped from the man's dirty mouth. His wild eyes were sunk into his face, his greasy gray hair swept back against his head. He snarled at Dorcas. "Fool. Once you join the Ganelon Bandits, that's it! You're stuck in for life!"

Dorcas grunted as he pushed the man back, breaking the axes away from each other, and taking a swipe at the man's stomach. He missed as the man jumped back, nicking only the man's shirt. Dorcas readied his axe again, glancing back at his wife who was cowering in the corner.

"Carjiga...it was a mistake to join you. I was weak. I will find money for my wife another way! YAH!"

Natalie watched through her fingers as the two men exchanged blows. She could see a sliver of blood upon the floor. She started to shake, fearing it belonged to Dorcas. She gasped, dropping her hands as Dorcas suddenly dropped to one knee, holding his axe up to Carjiga in defense. She watched helplessly as Carjiga smirked evilly, and swung his axe low toward Dorcas' stomach. "NO! DORCAS!!!"

Dorcas closed his eyes and grimaced as he waited for the pain, but it never came. Opening his eyes, he saw the axe was poised less than a inch away from his stomach. Looking up in amazement at Carjiga, he gasped. The man's face was stuck in pain, blood trickling out of his mouth. As he fell on top of Dorcas, he pushed him off, staring at the two gaping wounds in Carjiga's back. Standing up, he looked up at the door, surprised to see Sain and Kent standing there with a bloody sword and lance.

Sain wiped his brow, breathing heavily. "Oy, it seemed like that one was the leader of the group, Kent." Kent nodded, looking at Dorcas and Natalie in concern. "Are you two well? Injured?"

Dorcas slowly shook his head and looked down to his left as he felt his wife's gentle hands on his arm. She looked at him worriedly, but he smiled a small comforting smile. "Thank you for saving me. In that, you saved my wife."

Sain waved his hand, stepping out into the hallway, seeming disappointed that they were married. "It's alright, sir. But we really should get you to the inn across the street. Our companions have it safe." Kent nodded in agreement. "It would be in your best interest, milady and sir...can you walk, madame?"

Natalie looked at Kent before leaning against her husband. She smiled. "Yes...my husband supports me...just as I support him."

With a dying gasp, the man fell to the ground in his own blood. Florina shakily pulled out the lance from his stomach, shaking with fear and sickness. Her other arm was around a child in comfort, who cried into her chest. She wanted to cry too, she admitted silently to herself, but Lyn needed her...and this was no time to be a crybaby. She patted the child's sandy hair in reassurance, easing Huey into a trot near to the front of the inn where Lyn, Wil, and Faren were. She dismounted Huey before pulling the child down after her and ushered him into the inn. Glancing from the doorway, she frowned at Faren who seemed to be having difficulty breathing as she leaned against Renegade.

Lyn also glanced back at Faren, wiping the Mani Katti on a loose cloth. "Are you sure that you're okay, Faren? You were in that burning stable longer than Wil was..."

"I'm fine!" She shouted, smiling at both Lyn and Wil's matching concerned expressions. "Anyway..." She coughed slightly again, prompting a gentle nudge from Renegade. "We need to keep an eye out for anymore bandits lurking..."

"I believe we have dispatched all of them, Milady Faren."

"Kent!" Lyn looked relieved to see the red knight march up with Sain and two other villagers. Sain wiped his brow and gestured Dorcas and Natalie that they should head into the inn. With a polite nod, they walked in together, leaning onto each other for support. Sain leaned against the inn's post, petting his horse that came trotting up to him. "The other bandits that we didn't deal with left when they learned that their leader had been skewered by us two knights of Caelin."

Kent sheathed his sword and put a hand on Lyn's shoulder, looking at her in concern. Are you alright, Lady Lyn?" She smiled reassuringly at Kent. "Just a little shaken up is all, Kent. It seems those bandits were remnants of the ones we ran into at the other village."

Wil crossed his arms. "I suppose we'll have bandits after us as well as Lundgren's cronies."

Lyn nodded somberly at Wil. "I suppose you're right...I'm sorry for dragging you into this danger, everyone..."

Wil laughed his cheery laugh and waved Lyn off. "No worries, Lady Lyndis! There's nothing that Lyndis' Legion cannot handle!"

That sparked a chuckle from Kent and Lyn. Sain also chuckled, but stopped as he caught a sight of his glove. "...why is Pearl covered in soot?"

"Ah, that's..." Wil started when he glanced in Faren's direction. She looked unfocusedly at Wil, wobbling on her feet before tipping forward.

"Catch her!"

"Oh, I got her!"

"Don't grab her there, Sain!!"

"Ow! I'm sorry! I swear it was an accident, Wil!"

"Ah! She's passed out!"

"Probably from the smoke inhalation," Wil gently picked up Faren in his arms. He looked confusedly at her, surprised at how light she was. An angry snort came from Renegade, who's glare seemed to penetrate Wil to his soul. He smiled apologetically at the horse. "I'll be careful, I promise."

Kent and Sain exchanged looks then looked at Lyn. Lyn started to explain what happened as Wil walked into the inn, carrying Faren. The inn's entrance was filled with scared villagers. Some of their wounds hand already been bandaged and were laying on the floor, asleep. The inn master and his maids hurried around, fetching blankets and pillows for their unexpected guests. Florina looked up from bandaging a child's leg. "Oh!" She murmured, seeing Faren being carried by Wil. "Um...um...wh...what happened...Wil?"

Wil smiled reassuringly at Florina. "Faren just needs some rest, Florina. I'll be down in a second to help you." Before she could ask any more questions, Wil turned and carried Faren up the stairs. He sighed as he nudged the door to the girls' room open and walked inside. He walked over to the farthest bed and gently placed Faren on top of the covers. He paused before rising, gently brushing the hair out of her face. She's pretty, he thought silently.

He straightened up, suddenly feeling a hot blush running to his cheeks. Ah...what am I doing? He turned and quickly walked to the door. Before closing the door, he paused as he heard Faren murmur something.

"...il..."

Wil blushed even further, resisting the urge to go back inside the darkened room. He softly closed the door and gently patting his face to erase the blush, walked down the stairs to help Florina. Inside the room, Faren rolled over on her side, still asleep as the name escaped her lips once more.

"...Gil..."

Author's Notes:

My favorite scene in this chapter is Wil and Sain's card game, hee. Spelling and word errors in Chapters 1 and 4 are now fixed...thanks to SandyCaesar and Irene the Hunter for pointing those out. Don't hesitate to point errors out to me, its greatly appreciated.

I also hope I did some justice to Dorcas in this chapter, even though he wasn't in it that much. I think Dorcas is stuck in the background more than the tactician is. But then again...he's not really that great of a character, is he?

Pairings...honestly, I haven't thought much about it. It didn't even occur to me for a Wil X Faren thing, but it gave me ideas, heh. For the rest of the FE characters, I have some pairings in mind, but I haven't totally made up my mind. If anyone has any suggestions, I'd love to hear them.