Fire Emblem Fan Fiction / Fire Emblem Fan Fiction ❯ Gem of Red Flame ❯ Lessons in Greeting ( Chapter 2 )

Lyn sat silently in the emerald grass before a charred mass of ash and rubble that once stood as her home. She would have been weeping, but she had cried so long, she had run out of tears. Her heart felt as though it had been shredded apart.

That was her home. Her home on the plains. Her home on the emerald seas she had loved so much. The home she had lived in ever since… She shook her head to banish the terrible memory. That was the one thing she did not wish to think about, no matter what the circumstances. It was too bloody… Too full of death…

Her long and calloused fingers had found themselves woven into the grassland beneath her tired body and held them possessively. What was she to do? Everything she had to her name was gone with the fire and smoke, save for the clothing on her back, the sword at her hip, and her own name. Even that didn't seem to be enough for her to feel as though she counted as someone…

A tear rolled down a soot-dirtied cheek, cleansing a thin, irregular path along her skin of its filth. It dripped off of her chin and landed silently onto her thigh, dampening a small patch of her Sacaen robes of turquoise and green. Her past was gone, her present shattered.

What could she do? There were few options to begin with, and there were even fewer of those that she could find herself choosing.

She went over her alternatives thoughtfully.

She could build a new home, but then become a victim to bandits anew. She could also kill herself. That would end the suffering, but who and what would that avenge? No-one. Nothing.

Then, it came to mind that the most famous of Sacaens were nomads. Even the great Hanon himself was a wanderer of the world. Many were known for their heroic deeds of defending the defenseless. But, they were only as simple as travelers.

What if she could spend her days as a protector? Someone who fought bandits and safeguarded innocents that would otherwise suffer the same fate as she?

That would give her a purpose.

She was not afraid to die. This was a path she could follow. Even if death awaited her not far down the path, she would pursue this course.

Lyn stood up, feeling the grass grip at her legs as they lifted off of the ground.

She had no food, and no money. That position was going to get her nowhere. She would have had plenty of gold to spare, but all of her savings had been lost in the inferno. Lyn, once again, began to collapse into despair. But suddenly, as quickly as it had come, it faded, allowing her to realize the bandit's ger was still in its place. They were bound to have some money in their ill-gotten inventory. Stealing from thieves was the last thing she could see herself doing, but it was all she could do at the moment.

Lyn then turned her back upon her home. That was the last time she would lay eyes on it.

Bulgar. That was where Lyn planned to depart for first. It was the largest city in all of her home country, Sacae, and it was a bustling trading centre that carried goods from even as far as Nabata and Ilia.

She had more than enough luck finding money as she raided the bandits' ger. It was odd to be doing, but she paid it little mind, for she had great success in her rummage. Finding what had to have been some seven hundred gold in their ransacking boxes. She knew she would need every piece of gold down to the last fleck in order to get supplies for her travels.

Little money was always better than no money.

And Bulgar was the best place to spend it.

Lyn walked and walked for what seemed to be a century, but that trip took only as long as a few hours.

The gates of Bulgar welcomed her with a friendly sound of trading and other random street conversations that seemed to flow straight over its brick and stone walls.

As if she was going into the city to greet an old memory, Lyn marched straight through the entrance with a bright smile on her face.

The streets were much busier than she had remembered. Crowded with stalls, shops, and people, she was greatly surprised that she actually made her way through to the main road. The only market that looked like she could fit inside was rather small, but it appeared promising.

She clumsily shoved her way through the wild collection of inhabitants to reach the little store, and she nearly swore that she was blessed by some miracle, for she found light again at the other end of the street. As she glanced about, she realized that there was actually some empty space free of mob that encircled this modest market. "Odd…" she mumbled to no one in particular, possibly her sword if it happened to be listening.

The display at the storefront was madly cluttered with various items, spilling into the street and in the way of the door. Lyn smiled to herself and stepped lightly over the mess and into the store. As she walked inside, she suddenly had to press herself against the doorframe out of respect as a fine young man clad in garnet chest and shoulder armour blew out of the store with a speed that plainly stated he had to be somewhere, very fast. Paying any attention to it seemed unnecessary. He, from her brief glance, looked very much like a knight and she wasn't at all surprised if he had someplace to go.

However, she would have appreciated an "excuse me".

As soon as the man left, save for her and the old crone that ran the shop, the place was empty. A strong cloud of incense hung in the already musty air and caused her to wrinkle her nose subconsciously. It smelled pleasant, but there was just too much of it.

Lyn then spent a good ten to twenty minutes searching the small shop, trying to manage her money carefully, yet to make sure she found something of quality. Only the sky knew when she was going to come across any spare funds again.

By the time the old woman woke up from her nap, Lyn had found all she needed. Her purchase included a small sack for her food as well as other things she might want to keep with her that could be carried on her waist, a leather bag canteen that would be able to hold plenty of water and to keep it relatively cool, and some dried fruits, nuts, and some of the leaves that she had always enjoyed eating.

That gold didn't last as long as she had guessed.

The old crone bade her farewell as her latest customer left the shop and wandered out into the street. Lyn tightened her belt, fastened her new bags to her waist, and started to make her way down to the entrance at the southern part of town. She came in through the eastern side so there was no sense in going back the way she came.

"Where to now?" she asked herself as she followed the dirt-paved streets to the south gates. She made it to Bulgar and got her supplies. What was she going to do next?

She could think about it on her way out.

Lyn began to notice, that the closer the got to the southern end of the city, the roads began to thin and the amount of people slowly decreased to more reasonable numbers.

She was just beginning to see the top of the gates when she heard a voice behind her say, "Why must such a radiant beauty have such a fate bestowed upon her to be so alone?"

Lyn wanted to believe that the voice was not addressing her, but all of the women she had seen in the area were mostly mothers and old women. Nevertheless, she continued to manage her pace down the road.

However, the voice was persistent enough to follow her. "Fair princess of Sacae!" the voice was no doubt speaking to her, "Please, would you be as kind as to grant me your name?"

Lyn stopped abruptly and turned around. There, seated in the saddle of a gorgeous chestnut mare, was a young man partially wrapped in dark sea-green armour and a mop of untamed brown hair drifted around his eyes and forehead. When she looked at him, a smile broke across his boyish face.

"Pardon me?" Lyn demanded from him, somewhat irritated.

"Fair maiden of the endless fields, I must hear the name that titles this beauty that stands before me," He held out his left hand to her and placed his right across his chest as though he were to recite some sort of poem or sonnet, "My heart beats that of a lover."

"Well, `sir knight', what code of conduct allows you to speak so to a stranger?" Lyn felt herself heat up with anger. Not necessarily the type of heat this knight was hunting around for.

"Ah, yes. I am from Lycia," he began, "The Caelin canton to be precise. Ah, Caelin. Home to fierce knights of passion and fire!"

Lyn was not amused by this in the least bit. "I believe you've worded that incorrectly."

"Oh?" he asked, raising his eyebrows.

"Yes, I believe so." Lyn nodded, "I don't think that your masters have informed you of this yet. It is now `home to callow oafs with loose tongues'."

The knight's horse retreated back two steps. Lyn only grew all the angrier when he placed a hand dramatically on his heart and said, "Oh, please cease! You become even lovelier when you are cruel! One man's heart can only take so much!"

Lyn snorted and turned to leave. "I can't stand you. I have to go before I hurt you," she growled through clenched teeth. Her once calm walk was now a stiff march that intended to lead her out of town.

"No! Wait! Milady!" the knight begged, nearly falling out of his saddle, "Why must you take leave of me so soon?"

"SAIN! Hold your tongue!" another voice barked at the man amount his horse.

Lyn couldn't help but turn at the sound of someone silencing that pain. Another knight rode up from behind the first on an ebony steed with a white muzzle and grey hooves. She sat and pondered this knight's appearance. He had bright red hair, and was clad in garnet armour that wrapped around his shoulders, chest, arms, and shins. Was her mind playing tricks on her, or was that the same man who rushed by in the shop?

"I leave you outside for five minutes, FIVE, to buy a sword, and here I find you dallying with yet another woman!" he continued to loudly scold his companion he had called Sain.

He seemed unaffected by his friend's anger and twisted in his saddle to face him. When the man in the red armour pulled his horse up beside the first, Sain reached out and playfully grabbed his comrade's cheeks and tugged them as if he knew just how to irritate him. "Kent! My smiley, boon companion!" He let go of his face and leaned back in his seat oddly. When he caught sight of the knight, Kent's face, his foolish smile gradually faded away. "Why so- so- severe?"

Kent was shaking with rage that he desperately wanted to contain. "If your manner were more somber and controlled," he began, painfully clamping his teeth together, "I wouldn't need be. THINK!" He thumped Sain on the head with the back of an armoured glove, "We still have our mission to complete. I can't just have you prancing about, showing off- whatever it is you show off!"

"I have been aware of this for a while. Do you think I would forget?"

"Apparently."

"Well, it's rude to just stand by silent when in presence of beauty as bright as that," Sain made a gesture at Lyn with his left hand, "It's discourteous to pretend you don't notice something as gorgeous and end up hurting someone when you do."

"Courtesy is the one word you have no idea how to define, Sain."

"Liar! Courtesy means consideration, cooperation, and generosity in providing."

"… I have no quarrel against the dictionary, Sain. But YOU. I have problems with you."

"Oh, please. Humor me more Kent! You KNOW you need me."

"Fine then. Humor you I will! You have no skill in battle. You hold your alcohol as well as a sieve. You caught my pants on fire! (A/N: I couldn't resist! I had to take it! Cathy Barton's Can't Complain is one of the best stories I have ever read! I just had to put the pants issue in there! Hey, you peoples, read Can't Complain! It's great! But you left me on a cliff hanger! WHY?!) "

Sain began to laugh at that statement.

"You think that's funny too?"

Sain nodded.

"You fell off of your horse TWICE when we were attacked by those bandits heading east. You stabbed me in the ass with your sword and called it an accident. You stabbed your HORSE in the ass with your sword and called it an accident. You were constantly hunted by a mob of angry women who many of them mistook me for you. Does that sound like I need you on this journey? Hmm?"

"Kent. Please. I believe that we should-"

Lyn had heard just about enough. "Excuse me," she interrupted.

The two knights stopped to look at her.

"You're blocking the road. Your horses…"

"Oh, yes," Kent suddenly regained his dignity, "My deepest apologies." Without hesitation, he grabbed up his horse's reins and tugged him out of the way. Sain also began to lead his out of the fact that she was an obstruction.

"Thank you," Lyn said as she walked between them.

As she passed them, Kent blinked, then asked, "Pardon me, milady, but… Have you and I met before?"

Lyn pivoted on her heel. "What?" the irritability was back in her voice.

"I just feel like I've seen you somewhere before. In Caelin, maybe?"

Suddenly, Sain rammed his horse into the side of Kent's. "Ah, ah, ah! No, no! I saw her first!"

"That's it!" Lyn shouted as she stormed away, nearly tripping over herself in the process.

Kent managed to get his horse to turn toward her direction out of town. Not knowing what else to do, he uselessly reached a hand out after her and called back, "Please! Milady, wait! It's not like THAT!"

She ignored him as coldly as they come.

He sighed and let is hand fall back down to his hip. Sain brought his horse back into the centre of the street beside his comrade's. "Wow… I really thought you had her going. With the whole…"

"I AM NOT YOU, YOU WORTHLESS CAD!" Kent interrupted very loudly. The road in the whole area seemed to fall silent. Sain cringed away, his mare responding the same way. After he had screamed, Kent gave the impression that his bodily temperature was returning to normal. "Come. We have to follow her. I think she might be…"

"Oh, no no no. Wait, you're telling me she's our mission, aren't you?" Sain asked irregularly.

Kent just stared at him.

"No, no. You're kidding me. This is just another one of your jests, isn't it?"

Kent only picked up his reins and began guiding his horse after Lyn. "Don't tell me you won't help me pursue a gorgeous Sacae woman," he taunted, "THAT is one I haven't seen yet."

"uhm… Hey, wait!" Sain spurred up his horse after his friend. "So, I guess we've finally had some direction. How fast do you think she'll go? She IS Sacaen…"

yep. Chapter 2. I spent all yesterday from seven thirty P.M. to around two A.M. writing this. So, im indeed proud of this. Read and review please!