Chapter 1: Footsteps of Fate Part 2
Readying their weapons, Sain looked ready to advance with his lance, only to be halted by Ike.
"Hold it, do you plan to attack using your lance?" Ike questioned.
"Indeed!" Sain beamed, showing off his lance. Kent only facepalmed. "The lance is more heroic. A knight should look more heroic, don't you think?"
Shaking his head in exasperation, Ike explained, "Lances may hold an advantage against swords due to their reach, but for axes, because of the weapon width to be able to block thrusts, it could also entrap the lance through its beard or even break it."
Did these knights not go through the basics of combat? He's witnessed countless times the spars between Oscar and Titania, two former Crimean knights. They even showed Ike the shortcomings of lances in that Titania will almost have every advantage against a lance user with her axe. Despite that, Oscar still manages to beat his younger brother, Boyd, an axe user, in a spar every time.
"Truth be told, I...forgot to buy a sword." With Sain scratching the back of his head. Kent only have a bigger grimace in response. "Forgot? Or were you simply too busy dallying with the ladies?"
No wonder. Ike quickly reached for a spare blade they've bought with their supplies and passed it to Sain who caught it with a hand.
"Oh, thank you my good man! My skills are at your ready!"
Lyn who just broke out of her exasperation, call out: "Ike..."
"What matters now is that we deal with the ruffians, he could repay us later." With that explanation, Lyn nodded.
"Thank you, I'll repay the blade with one of ours once the battle is over." Kent politely thanked Ike. Ike nodded and observed the battlefield.
"Kent, begin your attack from the trees to the bandit in front of us, then Sain could attack from the south to finish the bandit." Ike directed.
""At your command!"" Upon both Kent and Sain's declaration, Kent quickly galloped into the forest and attack the bandit in front of the thicket, the bandit found himself receiving a gash on his upper body. Quickly recovering and attempting to counterattack, Kent quickly used the forest to his advantage, maneuvering his horse to avoid the axe of the bandit. Soon, Sain positioned himself to the south, raising his blade and delivering a swift strike to the bandit.
"Damn it all..." The bandit fell, after receiving a finishing cut.
"We've done it!" Sain celebrated. "The battle is far from over! Keep your vigilance!" Ike warned.
"Grrr... two can play at that game." The bandit leader, Zugu, growled. "Boys! Use the trees to your advantage!" He shouted.
Attacking from the safety of the trees is wise. However, that only applies if Ike and Lyn were foolish enough to attempt to bring the battle to the forest while on the road. They only needed to bring them out of their comfort zone not being in the vicinity of the trees, or using the an adjacent thicket to their advantage. But who said they'll continue fighting in the trees?
"Follow my lead! Advance from the Northeast! We'll cross the river through the bridge! Avoid the forest!" Ike announced.
"""Roger!""" They all replied.
"Lyn..." Ike called out quietly while running, "While the knights and I advance, use your bow to attack from a distance hiding within the forest as support while we draw attention. You are the only one I know with archery skills out of the rest of us. Can you do that?" Lyn nodded, pulling out her bow and quivers and went into the trees without the bandits noticing.
Ike decided to advance to the East, where the bandit nearest to the forest was situated. If he gets past that bandit, one of the bridges should be free to cross after getting past one more ruffian.
Getting close to the bandit close to the trees, he raised his blade to strike. The bandit immediately retreated to the side of the tree, evading Ike's strike. With Ike missing, the bandit quickly closed in to counterattack. Bringing his axe overhead, the bandit slashed downward to Ike, only for the strike to be cut short from sound of the bow being shot, and with it, the bandit receiving an arrow to the side.
Gasping in pain, Ike took the critical opportunity to thrust his blade towards the bandit's stomach. The bandit, coughing blood as he breathed his last.
"Gah...you knightly bastards fighting dirty..." hissing a final curse, the bandit fell.
Soon, the cry of two more bandits resounded from across the bridge. It seems as though Kent and Sain dealt with two of them near the bridge. Which probably left just the leader.
Nodding with Lyn who came out of the trees. The pair quickly advanced across the bridge where the bandit leader was stationed. Kent and Sain surrounding him, along with Ike and Lyn in tow. Zugu, having already readied his axe, willing to fight for his life.
"Now... tell us who sent you?" Ike prodded. He mentioned gold, which meant these bandits were hired by someone. Someone who wanted Lyn dead. The Talivers? Unlikely, since they would have done the job themselves.
"Grrr... as if I'll tell you knights!" He growled.
Only for Ike to shake his head. Readying his stance with his blade over his head and bending slightly.
"I'm no knight. I'm Ike of the Greil Mercenaries, prepare yourself." Ike announced. Zugu, enraged, raised his axe towards Ike. Ike, prepared for the bandit's slash, leaned away from the bandit's diagonal strike, only to counter with his own with Ike's sword. The bandit yelled out in pain as he suffered a slash across his upper body in which he soon suffered another slash horizontally, deeply wounding him. Raising one last futile resistance by raising his axe once more, Ike quickly moved to the side, with the bandit wondering why the mercenary suddenly moved away.
Was he scared? No, within the next moment from the corner of his eyes, he saw his original target, with her blade readied at her side. It happened in an instant, with Lyn unsheathing her blade and lunging forward, delivering a clean strike to Zugu. She sheathed her unblemished blade as he fell to his knees.
"Blast... There was only...supposed to be a lone...girl..." and Zugu, the bandit was no more.
Everyone sighed in relief.
"That's the last of them! Fantastic work, Ike!" Lyn complimented. Only for Ike to reciprocate with a smile, "You too, Lyn."
Ike then turned towards the pair of knights, "Now then..." Lyn stepping for to ask: "And now for these knights of Lycia. You were going to share your story with me?"
Turning towards Lyn, Kent responded: "Yes. We have ventured from Caelin, in Lycia, in search of someone."
Ike was still alert, the bandits before wanted to kill Lyn for some purpose. Maybe that coincided with the knights here?
Ike decided to ask this time, "Why would knights from Caelin, within a country southwest beyond the mountains, want with Lyn?"
Ike took a glance at the general map of Elibe with the Lycian territories outlined after purchasing it. So he had some decent context clues.
"Indeed." With Kent and Sain bowing towards Lyn as if she were a noble. "We've come as messengers to the lady Madelyn, who eloped with a nomad some 16 years ago."
Madelyn? Ike raised his brow. Certainly, the name resembles Lyn partially. But the nomad in question... With Lyn's reaction showing that she knows the name. Somehow, the pieces were coming together. With it being almost two decades ago... the timeline probably coincides with the couple possibly having Lyn during that time.
"Our lord the marquess of Caelin's only daughter. He was heartbroken his own daughter would abandon him so. Eventually, the marquess simply declared that he had no daughter." Kent shaking his head at the incident. Soon Sain decided to speak next: "And then this year, we received a letter from Lady Madelyn. It said that she, her husband, and their daughter were living happily on the Sacae plains." With Ike turning towards Lyn whose confusion from the events evident on her face. "The marquess was ecstatic to learn he had a granddaughter of 15 years. I remember the smile on his face when he announced that he'd suddenly become a grandfather. The grandaughter's name is Lyndis. This was also the name of the marquess's wife, who passed away."
A string of coincidences bring together a pattern. It was clear that the circumstances point towards Lyn, or rather, Lyndis, being the long-lost grandchild. Ike spotted her mouthing her supposed full name quietly. So she really is...
"So you believe Lyn to be the grandaughter of Marquess of Caelin?" With the knight pair nodding at Ike's prodding.
"Because she bears the name of the marquess's deceased beloved, his heart thawed. Now, his only wish is to meet his daughter's family at least once. This is why we're here." Closing his eyes for the next set of words, "We didn't know that Lady Madelyn died a few days after sending her letter... We only learned this shortly after we arrived here in Bulgar."
"The Lorca Tribe Massacre... by the Taliver Bandits..." Ike hissed out.
"I see you've been well informed." Kent responded and soon turned to Lyn, "But we also learned all was not lost. Her daughter yet lives. We heard that she was living alone on the plains... I... I knew it immediately. You are the lady Lyndis."
With a pale face, Lyn replied, "Why would you think that..." only to be cut short with Kent's reply: "Your resemblance to your departed mother is remarkable."
"What? Did you know my mother?"
Only for Kent to raise his hand and shake his head. "I'm sorry to say I never met her directly, but I saw her portraits in Castle Caelin."
Lyn took a moment to accept everything, and she slowly replied: "To the rest of my tribe, I was always Lyn. But when I was with my parents... When it was just the three of us, I was Lyndis. It's all so strange. I was all alone in the world and now I have a grandfather. Lyndis... I never thought I would hear that name again."
"Lyn..." Ike spoke as he stared at her in thought.
But something just alerted Ike of the name itself. Lyn also shared the same realization.
""The bandit!"" Ike and Lyn shouted out.
""Hm?"" Both Sain and Kent exclaimed.
"The bandit knew her real name... he alluded to being paid off..." Ike responded. With Kent slowly paling at the news.
Someone knew of the messages or what was going on. Succession issue? A bad grudge against Lyn's family? Ike pondered on the reason.
"Lord Lundgren..." Sain spoke. Kent stared at his companion, but didn't deny the accusation.
"Lundgren, who's that?" Lyn questioned.
Closing his eyes, Kent spoke, "He's the marquess's younger brother. Everyone assumed the lady Madelyn was gone forever. This made Lord Lundgren heir to the marquess's title."
"In other words... by eliminating Lyn, the last person who could potentially ursurp his position." Ike concluded. With the pair of knights nodding.
"That's-" Lyn voiced her concerned, and continued: "But I have no interest in inheriting any title!"
Sain shook his head at her denial, "Unfortunately, your granduncle is not the sort of man to believe that. I believe the attempts on your life will persist."
Lyn closed her eyes, and spoke quietly to herself: "What should I do?"
"Accompany us to Caelin. Continuing on this way is dangerous." Kent replied, taking a step forward.
Lyn glanced towards Ike, who stood quiet at the recent turn of events. Turning towards Kent, she replied: "If you'll excuse me..." and Kent acquiesced.
Lyn took Ike's hand to speak privately: "Ike... I'm sorry." Ike only shook his head, and replied: "What for?"
"I-I want to meet my grandfather. But what will you do, Ike?" Lyn questioned.
Ike could go his separate way and find his way to Tellius on his own. To her, he's not obligated to accompany her to Caelin. On the other hand, to Ike, this is his savior. Who helped saved him when no one else could. How could he not feel obligated as a member (unofficial) of the Greil Mercenaries to repay her kindness?
Closing his eyes, he replied: "Whatever you wish, I'll help you. This is my duty as a member of the Greil Mercenaries." And with a resolute expression, he continued: "If I leave you without repaying the kindness you done for me by saving my life, my father and the mercenaries would never accept me."
"But... It's going to be so dangerous." Ike only shook his head at her objection, "Being a mercenary has it's risks, it always has been regardless if you were a knight. Besides." Looking straight into her green eyes, "I want to help you."
Lyn slowly smiled, and responded, "Thank you! Let me ask once again for your friendship and your aid, Ike." Holding out her hand, Ike accepted and shook on it.
Heading back to Kent and Sain who witnessed the two come together after a private conversation, she declared, "I will go with you, to Caelin, to my grandfather."
Ike also stepped forward to announce himself, "My name is Ike, ranger of the Greil Mercenaries. I will work with you to escort Lyn back to Caelin. It will be nice working with you."
Kent and Sain looked to one another and nodded. Kent went forward with his hand and introduced himself, "Kent, knight calvary of Caelin, let us protect Lady Lyndis together, Ike of the Greil Mercenaries." Ike nodded and shook hands with Kent.
Repeating the gesture of his friend, he spoke jovially, "Likewise my friend! Sain, fellow knight calvary of Caelin, let's protect Lady Lyndis together as comrades my good man!" And Ike shook on it.
Thus, the knights of Caelin and Greil Mercenaries begin their contract in Elibe.
AN:
Blast Ketchup: I am following the original age instead of the age up done by localization (she was 18-19 for the western audience). Mostly for Ike and Lyn to be the same in age and to align events within a 1-2 or timespan before Ike starts PoR. And also following the logic that Madelyn and Hassar hitched with Lyn born a year later making the original time they eloped 16 years ago instead of 19.
Lyn and Ike are the same age (age 15) for story purposes and before Ike could return to Tellius right before the canon of the PoR.