Talons Alight

They should've been able to spot any counterattack from miles away. They had guards posted. They'd heard nothing. So then, why were there enemy soldiers within the walls of the castle? Maybe it had something to do with the fact that it wasn't Marquess Laus, come to take his castle and son back. They moved too fast, struck too well. They weren't regulars. They had to be professionals. Eliwood had mentioned something about there being a mercenary group that was very loyal to Laus, and was led by a man named Eubans, who preferred surprise attacks and sudden strikes.

"Andreas!" Oswin called. Andreas looked towards the knight. "If our goal is to defend, then knights like myself would be among your best hopes. My thick armor can turn me into a living shield."

Andreas nodded. "I understand, but I don't think sitting back should be our best bet. If our foe is a man who prefers sudden strikes, sitting back will be playing right into his hands. We will split into two groups. One will remain here to guard the supplies, the wounded, and the throne. I'll take another group to intercept them. We'll meet him head-on!"

Their group, which had assembled in the throne room, charged ahead. Lowen and Marcus charged forth, encountering a squad of lancers, headed by an armored knight. Their lances made short work of their foes, and Batre was quick to dispatch the knight, his foe's armor preventing him from maneuvering quickly enough to avoid the lethal axe strikes that Batre delivered. Soon, swordsmen began trickling in from the front gate, but Oswin was able to stem their flow.

Rebecca had her hands full managing the flow of enemies that had come through a break in the wall. An axeman, a mage, a pair of cavaliers, and a mercenary had managed to break down a section of the wall, and had gotten through. The home group was fighting hard to keep them down. Thunder roared as electricity arced from Erk's outstretched palm. One of the cavaliers fell from his mount, as the other had his mount shot out from under him by Rebecca. Guy and Eliwood dealt with the axeman and mercenary, and Erk was able to avoid the mage's fireballs long enough to end him with a spell of his own.

The flow of enemies stopped abruptly. "Yes!" Hector cried. "We've done it! We survived!"

"The rest of the enemy seems to be fleeing with the rising sun." Oswin said. "This must be a part of their plan. Half of their number are already gone."

"You have to admire their efficiency, though." Andreas said. "Having an escape plan already in place in case things went wrong."

"Euban's mercenaries..." Hector said. "I won't forget this. So long as we're pursuing Marquess Laus, I think we'll be seeing them again." He shook his head. "Then there's the assassins that I fought in Ostia."

Andreas was about to ask Hector about that when Eliwood came up. "Is something wrong, Hector?" He asked.

Hector shook his head. "Not exactly. It just seems like we've more than one enemy to worry about." He shrugged. "Nothing that we can do about it now except tighten our belts, hope for the best, and prepare for the worst."

Oswin nodded. "I'll see to the castle's defenses immediately."

"No." Hector said quickly. "I'm tired of defending."

"I agree with Hector." Andreas said. "Every second that we waste standing still is another second that Marquess Laus has to get away. It's time to put him on the defensive."

Five days later, they were still sitting around, twiddling their thumbs. Andreas had to admit that he was a fan of immediate action, but the fact was that-

"Where the hell has that bastard Darin gone?" Hector roared.

"I was just thinking about that." Eliwood said. "I don't think that he's left Lycia yet, but we've spent five days here. If he was planning something, we should've gotten word of it by now."

"Speaking of spreading word," Andreas said, "quite a bit has happened recently. Surely, word of Marquess Santaruz's death and our attack on Castle Laus have been reported to Lord Uther. Why isn't he showing any sign of response?"

"He's got other things to worry about." Hector said simply.

"Other things?" Eliwood asked. "Like what?"

"Like Bern." Hector said bluntly. "Over the past few months, we've been getting disturbing reports. Darin's not the only one preparing for war. If King Desmond sees so much as the smallest crack in Lycia's defense, we think he'll invade with Bern's full might behind him."

"And since your brother was only recently made head of the Lycian League..." Eliwood said.

"He can't let any other country see weakness or discord." Andreas finished. "Present a face of stability and strength."

Hector nodded. "Not just Bern. It seems like every country has a spy working in Ostia right now, and so do the other Lycian houses. Everyone wants to know the new marquess's skill and mettle. One wrong move, and word will spread like wildfire."

"Hector?" Andreas asked. "Wouldn't you not being at his side be 'one wrong move'?"

Hector shook his head. "The marquess's brother is a well-known lout." He chuckled. "They'd think something was wrong if I was at court."

"You're not too proud of that reputation, are you Hector?" Eliwood asked.

Hector shook his head. "Not in the least."

There was a heavy pounding of feet on the stone floor. All eyes turned to the door, where Oswin rushed in. "Milords!" he said. "A messenger came from the east! Castle Caelin has fallen to a surprise attack by Marquess Laus!"

"Castle Caelin?" Andreas exclaimed.

"Lyn..." Eliwood whispered.

"They've struck again." Hector muttered.

"Is Lord Hausen alright?" Eliwood asked, keeping a level head.

Oswin shook his head. "I'm sorry, milord. There's no word on Marquess Caelin's condition or that of his granddaughter."

Eliwood shook his head. "I never thought that they'd attack Caelin."

"Lord Hector," Oswin said, turning to face his lord, "what should we do?"

"There's a chance that they're still alive! We only have one option!" Hector looked straight at Oswin. "Gather everyone up." He said. "We march!"

"Andreas, could you toss me a canteen?" Lowen asked.

"Hm?" Andreas came out of his thoughts, and noticed the cavalier. "Oh, sure." He turned to the small crate that they were storing their canteens in, and picked one up, feeling the weight of the water inside. He turned back to Lowen. "Here you go." He tossed Lowen the canteen, which he caught expertly.

"Thank you." He said, falling into step with the horses that were drawing the caravan wagon that Andreas was riding in as he took a drag from the metal flask. He'd been elected as Merlinus' assistant quartermaster, which generally found him sorting through their stored supplies and gear, looking for items and weapons that needed to be replaced. On marches, he had the privilege of riding on the cart, so long as he kept up with what the others needed.

Lowen stopped drinking from the canteen, and sighed in contentment. "Thanks, Andreas." He said.

Andreas smiled. "No problem." He said. "Need anything else?"

Lowen's face crinkled in thought. "Not that I can think of, no." He said.

Andreas nodded. "Alright. Just tell me if you do." He said.

Lowen nodded. "Sure."

"Mind if I ask you something?" Andreas asked.

Lowen nodded. "Sure, ask away."

"Why'd you choose to become a knight of Pherae?" He asked. "From what I've seen, you're just as skilled with your spoon as you are with your sword. Why not become a cook instead?"

Lowen nodded. "Well, I grew up in a little village on the outskirts of Pherae. Nothing much of value there except for the hard-working people who lived there." He said. "One day, a group of bandits came to raid us. Some Pheraen knights in the area came to our aid, and we fought the bandits off. Their bravery... Their valor..." He smiled. "I was convinced that day that I wanted to be a knight."

Andreas nodded, and smiled back.

"What about you?" Lowen asked.

"What do you mean?" Andreas answered.

"Well, where'd you grow up?" He asked. "I mean, I understand your reasons for being here, but I'm curious what your life was like before you met up with us."

Andreas shrugged. "Well, if I'm being completely honest with you, I don't know. My memory goes back about a year, then nothing."

Lowen's eyes widened. "Really? Nothing?"

Andreas shook his head. "Nope. Not one bit."

"So, Merlinus?" Andreas asked, hauling one last tent out of the supply wagon. He'd been tasked with helping their quartermaster unload the caravan. Andreas had to admit, under that pudgy exterior, the man had quite a bit of muscle. "You've been around a bit, haven't you?"

"What do you mean, Andreas?" He asked, setting down the half-full water barrel he was holding.

"Well, when we met you, you said that you were a traveling merchant. How far did you range?"

"All over Elibe!" He said proudly. "I've been to Ilia, Bern, Sacae, Etruria-"

"Could you identify something for me?" Andreas asked.

Merlinus scoffed. "Could I identify something! I'd be surprised if I couldn't!"

Andreas smiled, and took the ring off of his finger. "Take a look at this for me."

Merlinus took the ring, and scrutinized it under a careful eye. "Hmm..." Merlinus frowned. "I must say, I've never seen something quite like this." He admitted. "The base metal is definitely silver, and the style and plainness of it means that it can't be a wedding band or engagement ring. However, it's as black as the night sky." He laughed to himself. "I must honestly say, I'm not sure what it is, so I could not tell you how valuable it actually is." He handed the ring back to Andreas.

Andreas put the ring back on his hand. "Wouldn't dream of selling it anyways."

"If I may ask," Merlinus said, "How did you come to acquire that ring?"

Andreas shrugged, and moved over to the water barrel. "Can't tell you that." He said.

Merlinus nodded, and squatted next to the barrel, opposite Andreas. "Well, if you don't want to talk ab-"

"It's not that." Andreas interrupted. "I just don't know. I woke up with it on, laying on some bed in some inn in Pherae."

Merlinus nodded. "Perhaps it's a key to your memories?" After he'd told Lowen about his amnesia, the news had spread like wildfire.

Andreas shrugged. "Maybe." He grabbed the bottom of the water barrel. "Alright, on three. One. Two..."

Three thuds resounded as limbs struck out. Sword and axe flashed in the last rays of the sun and the warm glow of a fire a little ways away, where Lowen and Rebecca were cooking dinner. Blunted though they were, Andreas knew that neither party was eager to take a hit. How long have they been at it? He wondered. Thirty minutes?

At least thirty minutes, and neither seemed to be overly tired, let alone ready to yield, despite each having taken more than a handful of slight glancing blows. Hector and Eliwood retreated from their latest clash, starting another of the increasingly common lulls between the sharp punctuation of their fighting.

Andreas had decided within the first five minutes of their duel that their fighting styles and their personalities were perfectly matched. Hector, who would never mince words and always seemed to speak his mind, relied primarily on a straightforward strategy: beat the opponent down before he could do the same, typically through the use of single, powerful strikes. He didn't seem to be too intent on dodging Eliwood's attacks, and spent a majority of his time putting his foe on the defensive with his intense barrage of attacks.

If it weren't for the weight of Hector's axe and the power of his strikes, Andreas was sure that Eliwood would rather parry the blow than take the hit. As it was, Eliwood had to be content with dodging away from the strike. The Pheraen prince, who Andreas would gladly admit to being a master of diplomacy in the making, relied heavily on technique, some of which Andreas had studied in his efforts to better himself, and some which seemed almost entirely improvised. Eliwood negotiated the duel carefully, giving ground when he had to, but always getting it back at some point.

"Draw, Hector?" Eliwood asked.

Hector smiled. "Draw, Eliwood."

Andreas hauled himself to his feet, and took Eliwood's place in the sparring ring. He picked up his own blunted weapon, and settled into a fighting position. "You know," Andreas said, "for someone who just fought for about half an hour, you don't look the least bit tired."

Hector shrugged. "We've been doing monthly duels like these for a while. They build skill and stamina." Hector grinned. "Try to keep up!" He charged, met head-on by Andreas.

Their forms mixed into each other as they fought. Weapons flashed in the quickly fading light. Andreas felt his arms ache each time their weapons collided. With a grunt and a shove, Andreas pushed Hector's axe away and opened some space between them. Hector, however, wasn't through. He rushed Andreas, who blocked a rising uppercut, then turned on a pivot and delivered a solid kick to Hector. The kick didn't faze Hector, who stood as solid as a brick wall. Hector took advantage of his foe's opening and charged, flooring him with a solid shoulder-tackle. Andreas rolled to the side as Hector planted his axe an inch from where his head had been, signifying what would've been a killing blow. Andreas sprang up as Hector retrieved his axe and turned, only to have a dull blade pressed to his throat.

Hector laughed, and pushed the blade away. "You're good, Andreas." He said. "Why aren't you a front-line fighter?"

Andreas sat down and grabbed his canteen. "Because I'm better suited to tactics and strategy anways."

Hector laughed. "Fair point."

"So, there's something that I've wanted to ask you." Eliwood said.

Andreas cocked his head.

"You've told us about your amnesia, so I understand if you aren't able to answer, but I figured I would ask anyways." Eliwood said. "The sword you wield... it isn't like anything I've seen before."

Andreas headed over to where he'd discarded the sword, and drew it from its scabbard. "This sword is a piece made by a swordsmith in Bulgar. It was originally crafted for a nobleman, but when the nobleman traveled to Bulgar to purchase the weapon he had commissioned, his group came under attack. The noble died, and the smith packed up his shop and moved to Lycia. Recently, when your father disappeared and bandits started roaming, I came across him during his travels, beset by a small group of bandits who were threatening his life and the lives of his family. I drove the bandits away, and escorted them to their destination. The sword was his way of paying me for my service."

Eliwood nodded. "A noble sword for a noble deed. Fitting."

Andreas nodded. "I've always thought so, but the sword means more to me than that."

"What's it mean, then?" Hector asked.

Andreas smiled. "One man can make all of the difference, if he tries."

A/N: Obligatory OC Supports. In order, we have:

Andreas/Lowen

Andreas/Merlinus

Andreas/Hector/Eliwood