62A Note Before You Begin:
Thank you for clicking on my story! I hope you enjoy it!
The original version of this story was too true to the game, in my opinion, and games don't always translate well to writing, so I'm going through and editing it into something more readable. In some ways this is just another novelized version of FE7, but I also put a lot more effort into making the tactician a fully realized character with her own story. Hopefully y'all enjoy it.
I appreciate all reviews. Ask me questions, tell me about incongruencies, inform me of typos, guess what's going to happen next, complain about my portrayal of the characters - I love all reviews. You can review every chapter (much appreciated), you can review the last chapter, you can review only the exciting chapters, but please review!
Chapter One: In Which I Make A Bad Decision
Lyn—Prologue: A Girl From The Plains
"Are you awake?"
At the sound of a low, female voice, I opened my eyes. A girl in a patterned tunic stood over me, her green hair falling into her eyes.
Instinctively, I scooted backwards, taking the bed sheets with me, and almost fell off the sleeping mat onto the rough floor. I wobbled for a second, on the edge of the wooden platform, before finding my balance. The world came back into focus, and I saw that I was in a large, round ger with sides made from animal hide. The tent was filled with woven boxes and colorful mats, and a transportable stove had been placed in the center. Definitely not my home.
"Don't be startled," said the girl quickly. "I found you unconscious on the plains and brought you to my home. I'm Lyn of the Lorca Tribe."
"Oh." My grip on the sheets tightened. My memory came back to me in bits and pieces. I'd been traveling through the Bern Mountains when a group of bandits attacked. I'd had to abandon my belongings in order to escape down the rocky slopes into the grasslands of Sacae. Regret tightened my chest as I thought of what I'd lost to the bandits—clothes, food, and my parents' maps.
Lyn watched me with earnest eyes as she waited for an explanation. I supposed it wasn't every day she found someone passed out in the plains.
I scratched the back of my head and tried to think of a suitable answer. "Bandits took my food and water as I fled. I remember wandering through Sacae after that, but not much else. I must've passed out from hunger…" It wasn't quite a lie. It just wasn't quite the truth either.
She nodded and then, with a warm smile, said, "Don't worry—you're safe now."
I didn't feel safe in this strange tent with this strange girl. However, rather than say that allowed, I only offered my rescuer a thin smile.
Lyn hesitated and then gently asked, "Who are you? Can you remember your name?"
Briefly, I wondered if I should use a fake name. But I felt I owed some honesty to this girl who saved me from starvation, so I said, "I'm Nora."
"Your name is Nora? What an odd sounding name." She seemed to realize that questioning someone's name was rude because she hastily added, "But pay me no mind. It's a good name." She bit her bottom lip as she searched for a way to change the subject. Unfortunately, she chose the subject I least wanted to discuss. "What brings you to the Sacae plains?"
"Uh…"
I was saved from having to come up with a suitable lie by the sound of harsh, male voices outside the tent. Lyn's eyes widened. Her gaze flew to me, and for a moment, we could not nothing but stare at one another in silence as the male voices surrounded the ger.
Slowly, Lyn crept over to the side of the tent. She grabbed a short sword from its resting place on top of one of the woven boxes before sneaking closer to the flap at the front of the ger. With once last glance at me, she whispered, "I'll go see what's happening. Wait here, Nora." Then, she slipped out of the tent, leaving me alone amongst her belongings.
Immediately, I shoved aside the bed sheets and got to my feet. If I was fast, I could steal some supplies and escape before she returned. However, as soon as I stood up, a wave of nausea came over me and my knees almost gave out.
Right, I'd passed out from hunger. I'd completely forgotten. How long had it been since I last ate or drank? I'd been too preoccupied with Lyn to notice the hunger pains, but now it hit me all at once. My throat was parched, and my entire body was trembling from exhaustion. If I stole from her, I didn't think I'd be able to escape Lyn no matter how much of a head start I gave myself.
The tent flap opened again, and Lyn came rushing back inside. "It's bandits!" she hissed. "They must have come down from the Bern Mountains."
My hands curled into fists at the mention of the Bern Mountains. Was it possible that the bandits who had stolen my parents' maps had followed me down into the Sacae plains? But that didn't seem right. They had already taken all my belongings. What more did they need from me? There must be some other explanation as to why they'd entered the plains. Something else that drew them to this camp. My gaze flickered to Lyn, but I said nothing. If they were the same bandits, perhaps they had brought my belongings with them. If I was careful enough, maybe I could steal my maps back.
"They must be planning on raiding the local villages," said Lyn. "I have to stop them. There's only a couple. If that's all of them, I think I can handle them on my own." She glanced at me. "You'll be safe in here, Nora. If I'm in any danger, I'll give a shout. You must flee before they think to search the gers."
I stared at the skinny girl in front of me. She was a couple years younger than me, seventeen at the most. I didn't know how many bandits were out there or how skilled she was with a sword, but I didn't trust her to rescue my maps on her own.
"I'll help," I said.
"You want to help?" asked Lyn doubtfully. "Can you use a weapon?"
I hesitated. How could I describe my combat experience? "I, uh, have some tactical training…"
Lyn looked skeptical, and honestly, I didn't blame her. "Tactical training" sounded suspicious to me too.
"Ah, I see," said Lyn slowly. "So, you're a strategist by trade? An odd profession…"
She spoke as politely as possible, but I could see her internal debate as to whether she should bring me along or not. I willed her to agree. I needed to get my maps back.
"Very well," said Lyn at last. "We'll go together. But keep close to me."
She started towards the exit, but before she could open the tent flap, I said, "Uh, do you have any food?"
Lyn glanced over her shoulder, lips pursed in confusion. Then, her eyes widened as understanding dawned on her. She grabbed an apple from a bowl near the door and tossed it to me. Taking a bite of the delicious, much-needed apple, I followed Lyn out of the ger.
The view was breathtaking. I'd hadn't been able to appreciate the beauty of Sacae when I'd been fleeing the bandits, but now I took it in with awe. We stood on a large, flat grassland with a clear, blue river to the east. To the south, the horizon was painted with the outline of gray mountain ridges. A breeze shifted through the plain, disturbing blades of long grass and kicking up an earthy smell.
Of course, my appreciation could only last so long. Lyn pulled me to the side so we were crouching behind two large wooden crates. I peered around the corner and saw that there were three oval gers clustered together. Each was painted with crisscrossing blue and green patterns that matched the design on Lyn's clothes. However, despite the gers, another member of the Lorca tribe couldn't be found. There were, however, two brigands lurking around the camp. One was about twenty paces away, examining what seemed to be an empty food storage outside one of the tents. The other bandit stood at the entrance of the biggest ger in the encampment. They hadn't seen Lyn and me yet, much to my relief.
I tried to recall everything my husband had told me about combat—look at the way they moved, how they handled their weapons, how they scanned their surroundings… The closest brigand didn't seem that skilled; his hold on the axe was inefficient. The second brigand was waiting outside the entrance of a ger. From the way he held himself and the way the other bandit responded to him, this one was the leader.
"I'll protect you, so stay close to me," whispered Lyn.
I frowned; I wasn't sure how I felt about being protected by a girl with arms like twigs. However, I didn't have much choice at the moment.
Judging from her fighting stance, Lyn's sword style resembled a myrmidon—a sword-fighter whose skills relied on speed rather than strength. What a relief. I was taught by a myrmidon, and that knowledge would make it easier to direct her.
Given the layout of the gers and the way the bandits kept scanning their surroundings, I could see no way to sneak up on them. However, the bandits didn't move together, which may give us the opening we needed.
"If we take advantage of your speed," I said, "then we should be fine. Move forward into the bandit's view. Let him come to you, Lyn. You're faster than him, so if you dodge the first strike, you can counter before he can regain himself."
Lyn glanced at me, surprise plain in her wide eyes. Slowly, Lyn nodded. "All right. I'll trust you."
She moved forward as directed. I was a little stunned at how willing she was to believe a total stranger. For all she knew, I was in league with the bandits, sent ahead of the group in order to lull her into a false sense of security. Of course, maybe, in her experience, bandits weren't all too bright and such strategy was beyond them.
As Lyn moved into view of the bandit, I remained crouched behind the crates. My hands curled into fists, and I hoped Lyn's confidence wasn't false bravado. If she was killed, then I'd have to flee the camp before the bandits thought to search for others. Briefly, I wondered if she would betray me. Maybe she was one of the bandits, and I had been lured into a false sense of security. I glanced back towards the river. Could I outrun the bandits if Lyn betrayed me?
There wasn't time to decide as, right then, the bandit caught sight of Lyn.
"A survivor!" he shouted.
Well, now the leader knew we were here.
The brigand advanced on Lyn, and as I instructed, she let him swing his axe first. I breathed a sigh of relief when Lyn dodged the blow. Her counter was swift, and in two strikes, she sliced the bandit's side and then throat. The bandit gasped for breath before crumpling to the ground at Lyn's feet.
I stared at the corpse, watching blood seep into the soft grass. Bile rose in my throat, and I took a deep breath to calm myself. Studying tactics was one thing. Standing on the battlefield was something else entirely.
I steeled myself before getting to my feet and moving to stand beside Lyn, "Are you all right?"
"Yes." She smiled at me. "Thanks. If I'd been on my own, I would've charged forward without thinking, and I wouldn't have gotten through that without a few cuts and bruises."
"Don't thank me yet," I said.
Lyn followed my gaze. The blond-haired leader had stepped around one of the gers, drawn by his comrade's shout. His gaze landed on us and the corpse at Lyn's feet.
"Who do you think you are?" he sneered as he gripped his sword and prepared for a fight. "You think you can stand up to Batta the Beast?"
"Same strategy?" asked Lyn. "Let him throw the first strike and then counter?"
I nodded though I had the feeling the leader was going to be more difficult. Bandits tended to respect strength rather than intelligence.
The leader charged forward, and I slipped back to my hiding spot behind the crates. The river glistened in the sunlight behind me. It wasn't too late to run. But when I watched Lyn with her lone sword facing down the broad-shouldered leader, I felt I had to stay. Besides, there was still some hope of finding my maps.
As planned, Lyn let the enemy strike first. Except this time, she wasn't quick enough to dodge, and Batta's axe struck her side. Blood dripped over the blue fabric of her clothes, but Lyn paid it no mind as she flicked her sword at Batta. Two deep cuts appeared in his muscular arms. The cuts were enough to draw blood, but not enough to kill.
Lyn clutched her bleeding side. She staggered backwards, but Batta advanced on her. Lyn's eyes flickered to the crates where she knew I was hiding. She mouthed something along the lines of "flee" at me.
I ignored her request and tried to think. I recalled the healing solutions that soldiers often carried around in flasks. I didn't have any on me, but maybe Lyn did. Half-hidden by the crates, I shouted, "Do you have a vulnerary?"
Batta looked about, confused. "There's another whelp about, is there?"
In the moment that he was distracted, Lyn grabbed a flask from her side pouch and downed the drink. The blood stopped flowing from her side, and the energy seemed to come rushing back to her. She was no longer standing at an odd angle but held her sword with proper form, keeping her eyes trained on Batta.
He let out a growl of frustration, realizing she'd healed, and lunged forward again. Lyn dodged and thrust her blade forward. She buried the sword deep into Batta's chest.
Batta staggered backwards, gasping. Then, his knees gave out as he fell to the ground only a few paces away from his comrade. His clear eyes stared up at Lyn as he choked on his final words. "How…how did you…?"
The bandit fell still. The grass at Lyn's feet was dyed red. Revulsion flashed in her eyes, but it disappeared as soon as it came.
As I emerged from my hiding spot, I stared down at Batta's distorted, pale face. This time, at least, there was no accompanying queasiness in my stomach.
"That was close," said Lyn, turning to me with a forced smile. "Sorry if I worried you. I sorely underestimated him." Her gaze fell to the blood-stained sword in her hand. "I'll need to be stronger if I'm going to survive. Strong enough that no one can defeat me."
"There's always someone better," I said.
I stepped past Batta's corpse and moved around the side of the ger. The leader had been around there when he heard his companion's shout, so perhaps… Sure enough, I found the bags of loot that the bandits had brought down with them from the Bern Mountains. My leather rucksack was amongst the stolen goods. Loosening the drawstring, I peered inside and saw that my maps, clothes, food, and water were all untouched.
"Is that yours?" asked Lyn who had followed me. "These were the bandits who attacked you?"
"Yes." I picked up the rucksack and slung it over my shoulder. I glanced at Lyn. She was looking at me with such hope in her eyes. I didn't know what she expected from me, but I was certain I couldn't help her. I mean, as things were, I could barely help myself.
"Well," I said, "thanks for rescuing me—but I've got to be going now."
"You're leaving?" asked Lyn. "Already?"
"I can't stay in one place for long." I paused, realizing my words might sound too suspicious. So, I added a little lie: "I'm a traveler to the bone. I get antsy if I wake up to the same scenery two days in a row."
Lyn suddenly looked stricken. Like she couldn't bear the idea of me leaving. Desperately, she cried, "I have food! Lots and lots of food."
Damn it. If she had said anything else, I would've walked away. I would've continued on my journey to put as much distance between me and Bern as possible. But food… Well, I had passed out from hunger not too long ago, and there wasn't much food in my rucksack. Surely it wouldn't delay me too long if I stayed and ate dinner with Lyn.
I turned to face her. "I'll stay one more day. But then I have to be off."
A wide, triumphant smile spread across Lyn's face.
"Good morning, Nora! Are you awake yet?" Lyn's overly cheerful voice brought me to the waking world.
Dragged from my dream of Bernese tea, a warm hearth, and mountain sunsets, I glared up at Lyn's grinning face. Suppressing a sigh, I sat up and rubbed the sleep from my eyes. "Now I am."
Lyn's smile faltered. "That fight yesterday must have taken a lot out of you."
"I didn't actually do any of the fighting," I muttered before sliding off the sleeping mat and rummaging through my rucksack for a change of clothes. "But my body's still recovering from starvation, remember?"
"Mm…" Lyn went oddly silent for a few minutes.
I took advantage of the silence to change into my travel clothes—gray hosiery, loose-fitting black tunic, two decorative belts, leather boots, and a dark green riding cloak. I slipped my rucksack onto my back and, after making sure that I had all my belongings, headed for the tent exit.
"Say, Nora," Lyn called out, "I want to talk to you about something."
I stopped, my hand half-extended towards the tent flap. I owed her for feeding me. I could listen to her last request.
She glanced over at me nervously. Her gaze flickered to the tent exit and then back to me. At last, she asked, "You have some experience in the ways of war. You showed that much yesterday. And, I was wondering… Would you allow me to travel with you?"
Damn it, I shouldn't have stopped. Even if I owed her a debt for her hospitality, I was fleeing from my homeland and I couldn't afford to bring a random stranger with me.
Wracking my brains for some sort of excuse, I settled on, "Would your parents allow you to travel across Sacae with an apprentice tactician?"
"You…" Lyn swallowed. "You want me to get permission from my parents?"
I nodded. I really hoped she had strict parents.
"My mother and father died six months ago," said Lyn softly.
Oh shit. I should've realized with all the empty gers around. Somehow my brain hadn't put two and two together—I'd blame the starvation. And now, my excuse had backfired. Not only did I have no reason to refuse her now, but I had just stumbled on an emotional landmine.
"My people—the Lorca—they didn't… I'm the last of my tribe. Bandits from the mountains attacked, and…they killed so many people. It was night, and I remember waking up to screams and the sound of swords. After the bandits left, the tribe was shattered. Those that had survived didn't know what to do. My father had been our chieftain, and I tried to rally our people in his name. But I'm so young, and our people were old-fashioned. They wouldn't follow a woman. They wouldn't follow me." Lyn sniffled and wiped her eyes with the back of her right hand. "I'm sorry. I've been alone for so long." She took a deep breath. "No. No more. I will shed no more tears."
From the moment Lyn had started crying, I'd been too stunned to do anything. I'd never been good at handling tears, my own or other people's. It made sense though, Lyn's story and her desperate actions to keep me around yesterday. She'd been living here on her own for so long that any company—even the company of a grouchy, unsocial "apprentice tactician"—was a miracle.
"Thank you," said Lyn suddenly, swallowing back the rest of her tears.
I had no idea what she was thanking me for—I'd just stood there like a clueless idiot while she told me of her tribe's tragedy. Maybe she was thanking me for not running away at the first sign of tears.
"Nora." Lyn's eyes blazed with a sudden intensity. "I want— No, I must become stronger so that I can avenge my parents' deaths. Yesterday's battle taught me something. I won't become stronger by sitting here alone. There are talented people out there. People who can teach me like you did. I'll never achieve my goal if I sit around here and forever mourn my tribe. Nora, please, tell me that you'll train me, that you'll let me travel with you."
Pity. That was what I felt as Lyn told me her story and pleaded for permission. She was a proud member of the Lorca Tribe, yet she had been reduced to asking for my help. Me, the runaway from Bern who had abandoned her husband to save her own skin. Next to Lyn, I felt small and ugly, a coward who cared only for herself. Pity combined with some sort of self-loathing was what caused me to say, "All right. You can come with me. I'll train you."
"You will?" cried Lyn, flinging her arms around my shoulders in her excitement. "That's just wonderful! Thank you! Oh, thank you! We'll be better off working together, I know it. You'll be my master strategist, and I'll be your peerless warrior!"
I pried her off me and said, "You're lucky. I have some experience with your style of fighting."
"You see, we were meant to be! Let me get my things. We'll leave as soon as possible."
As I watched Lyn hurry around the tent, shoving her belongings into a rucksack, I resisted the urge to groan. Now that she was no longer crying, my senses had returned. I was pretty inexperienced in applied tactics; everything I'd learned came from chess and theoretical conversations. And I'd never taught anyone before. But now, Lyn was expecting me to train her? Not to mention, we were going to be running from assassins while I was attempting (and most likely failing) to teach Lyn swordsmanship.
Yeah. This was definitely a bad idea.
