Fire Emblem: Blade of Darkness Chapter 15, a fire emblem fanfic

Chapter 15: Well This Won't Work

Sprinting hard into the night with a deep pant of breath the trio of young siblings found themselves gasping as they followed after Tico's tracks south. The rider had informed them of the purpose and direction and the troop agreed that the rider should take off and attempt to reach the destination with all due haste. The village of Riserstead was no longer in view and the fear of potential pursuit by the enemy force was not a relevant threat and yet the trio trudged with purpose under the weak moonlight.

Tico was thundering hard atop his steed. Doing all that he could to improve the pace, while still remembering that it was a living breathing animal beneath his core and not a machine of endless stamina. Tears filled the rider's eyes and yet he continued true to his mission to rush in the direction of Jule. While the rider knew of Jule's fall and collapse he figured the paths between Riserstead and Jule would eventually collide the parties. And yet the night's light made spotting people and bands in the distance difficult.

"How am I going to find them?" Tico pondered as he bit down into his lip in thought. "Where would they be?" The rider pulled back the reigns. Slowing the horse quickly, much to the delight of the nag. Tico remembered that despite it being night, smoke was still easy for a trained scout to spot. He knew that despite Shenis being in a rough situation that with the cool of the evening a fire and perhaps several fire were completely needed for the feeding, safety, and warmth of the traveling band. He scoured the sky. While trying to keep his horse firmly planted to avoid making confusing track marks, as he knew Ion and his siblings would need to follow the tracks. Looking true South he couldn't see anything. Then He glanced East above the tree line. There was not any sign of human activity nearby. South West Was where He looked next as he still holding the reigns firmly shifted his body to glance in that direction. "There we are." The rider thought. "GULP!" "Maybe?" He thought.

There were many possibilities of what that fire cluster to the South West could be and mean and yet this was the only choice or option that posed any opportunity of finding lord Shenis and his retinue. Tico gritted his teeth, leaned forward to give the neck of his horse a smooth rub, as he wished to gather himself as we may be embarking into the very center of a hunter's camp, or even a group of highway thieves.

"One way to find out. Kaya watch over me, goddess of light." The rider tipped the reigns signaling to the horse to continue forward. The rider advanced with a much more paced stride now as he still felt concern that trouble could be closing in for the young man.

…..

After a good bit of time, long enough for the moon to dance deep across the heaven's above, Tico could begin to smell the burnt air accented by the fire he sought out. He slowed his pace more to approach with caution as he began to see the light from the fires, as with each trot of the horse the rider could see the number of fires grow showing it was a larger camp than simply two gentlemen and a bottle of rum. He began smiling as hope rushed over the rider.

"THUCCK!" The pace of an arrow flittered just above the head of the rider, slicing several of the hairs atop his head. The speed and surprise of the arrow for a moment didn't phase the young man until he noticed several hairs fall upon his cheeks and nose. Suddenly a sense of panic overcame the boy as he tugged back on the reigns and began reaching for the sword at his side.

"BUSH!" Darkness enveloped as the boy in a split instant went from atop his horse to flat completely on his back. Arms stretched out he fell to ground hard created a second noise louder and truer than the first dismounting him, Tico saw the scope of his vision narrow, and fade fully to black.

"Hell, I said scare him, not give him brain damage." A silly and yet seasoned voice jested lightly as footsteps from all around approached the rider. A strong set of hands gripped the reigns of the horse and calmed the beast to be cooperative. "Give me a hand and let us bring him to the fire."

…

Awaking from a coerced slumber the young cavalier found himself with a moist cloth upon his forehead and a familiar face above him. "Oh good! You're awake!" The voice belonged to young Claire. Tico shifted and then groaned as he immediately grabbed his head. "Please be slow to get up, you took a nasty shot to the head." The girl issued caution as the rider slowed himself to sitting up. He was on the ground around a campfire smoldering with lingering embers as the rising sun crept higher into the view from the East.

"Sorry about that Tico! We had no clue who that was riding toward us loudly." Dax spoke to the rider. As Tico regained his senses he could see that the rider's trio of compatriots had reached the campfire to which he reached the party of his master Shenis. The party was small of able bodied fighters and heavy laden with the burden of the refugees of Jule.

"Master Shenis!" the rider called out. "I have to warn him!"

"I am warned young rider." Shenis replied as he and Highlight sat with Dalton on the far side of the fire.

"So what is the plan then young master Shenis?" Dalton nudged into the shoulder of the young lord while loading his smoking pipe. The party had waited through the night and while they did not know the result of the 3rd battle of Riserstead the party believed the result to be a foregone conclusion. Riserstead was now lost to the retinue.

"We must find a suitable place for the refugees, and sadly it seems the local landed gentry will have no part of housing people of Jule, as was the treatment by Lord Frit." Shenis moved his hand into his chin pondered what potential moves were available for the party.

"We obviously have a debt of blood to repay to the Dol Empire. But we cannot allow the refugees to travel as they will slow us down and be a liability in combat." Highlight spoke with purpose as the memory of the fall of Jule was hot upon his mind. The death of Hain the younger brother of his lord.

"We must break for Winter's Edge. It is a place that is not ruled by any gentry as it is a choke city for the hunters and traders who venture into the northern wilderness to the northeast, an area without a true city or known settlement." Shenis replied to the party. "There we can leave the refugees to settle free of molestation from outside influence and then move South."

"Why south?" the archer Somme asked. "What purpose do we have there? I know that we have issues with Valtrex, but also with Bruin. So what and where do we start? Make no mistake lord Shenis, you have my bow."

"As you have my sword." Dalton replied.

"As my axe." Burt the large woodcutter pronounced.

Kneeling before his lord Jai' Alai, "My spear and body belong to you and you alone."

"Your rider Tico saved us from a hunkered position near Til, we are with him, and since he is your man. My siblings and I are yours to command." Ion spoke.

Teary eyed, Shenis arose. "Then my people thank you. This wil be a rough and arduous road of pitfalls and violence. One I do not believe I am currently strong enough to succeed. And yet, we must press! After our visit to Winter's Edge, we break to Runsa, the smaller town a day's march from Jule, we will join forces with the ruling house of Cavan, or defeat them if the house proves to be simple pawns of the Bruin military complex. From there we can decide whether to dispatch the forces in Jule and free our people or make for Dol itself at our current strength."

"Perhaps if we take Runsa, then the force at Jule will splinter and move to intercept at which point we can move to gain some sort of advantage."

"In due time Highlight." The Dalton patted the young knight on the head as he advised caution. "First let's get these people to safety. Having them out in the open under these campfires is a huge risk for them going forward."

All found themselves in agreement. Shenis most importantly.

"Break camp and we shall move with purpose to Winter's Edge."

_AUTHOR'S NOTE_

Now we start getting to the more party based style of traditional fire emblem. The current retinue of Shenis looks like this

Character

Class

level est.

Age

Shenis Savoy

Lord

Jai Ali

Knight

Claire

thief

Ion

swordsman

Kyler

recruit

Bryan

priest

Dalton

mercenary

Tico

cavalier

Somme

archer

Dax

fighter

Burt

fighter