It's Fire Emblem like you've never seen it before... Set in a Western! ***** (As the Fire Emblem theme plays in the background, a red-hot branding iron burns the title of the story onto an aging map, which eventually dissolves into ash:) *** "Fire Emblem: The Burning Brand" by Avi Chapter 3: Rounding Up the Posse As Lyn and her companions rode away from the ancient ruins, they now found themselves accompanied by a powerful new ally... The mystical sword called the Man-Cutter, a blade only spoken of in legends across the Sacramento Plains, and now, in the possession of the plainswoman, Lyn. Yet despite the acquisition of her powerful new blade, and Lyn's obvious ability to defend herself, Kent insisted that they travel in formation, in order to protect her. Fortunately (or so Mark thought), Lyn decided not to argue with him... So, now they travelled with Sain riding in front (he insisted on "taking point", as he put it), with Lyn and Mark riding side-by- side in the middle, and Kent bringing up the rear, where he could keep a watchful eye on them all. Actually, Mark was somewhat grateful for the cavalryman's overprotectiveness, considering what happened to them so far... Also, he appreciated a little time alone with Lyn; there was something he had been meaning to ask her about... "Excuse me, Miss Lynette..." he began. "Please don't call me that," pleaded Lyn. "I get that enough from those two; I don't need it from you, as well." "But you're a Mayor's daughter," protested Mark. "It seems inappropriate to address you just as Lyn..." "But when you first met me, I was still Lyn, and not a Mayor's daughter... Couldn't we just go back to that? Please?" Mark paused for a moment. "Very well, then... Lyn," he conceded, a tad reluctantly. Shaking his head, he then pulled out his map from one of his saddlebags. "Anyways, I've been meaning to ask you about this place..." As Mark unfolded the map, he pointed out a specific area on it. "This village, at the base of Wind Serpent Peak; is it true what they say about it?" Lyn craned her neck, to examine the map. "About that village in El Rhea? Yeah, it's true," she replied. "You mean... About the tribe of fierce Amazonian warrior women who live there?" continued Mark eagerly. "I've heard that their steeds are as pure as the driven snow, and are as fleet as the wind..." He then trailed off. "I apologize," he said, looking sheepish. "I must sound like an enthusiastic young schoolboy to you, don't I...?" "No, no, I find your enthusiasm kind of refreshing, actually," replied Lyn, as she tried to hold back her laughter. At this, Mark fought back a blush. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to laugh at you," apologized Lyn. "It's just that... The El Rheans happen to be more like mercenaries, rather than warriors; they tend to form posses and hire themselves out as bounty hunters, more than anything else," she explained. "Oh. I see," said Mark, still embarassed about his misinformation. Lyn seemed to sense this. "You were right about the El Rhean horses, though," she told him reassuringly. "I've seen one up close, and their speed and beauty rival any horse from the plains." Mark brightened up at this. "So, you've actually seen one before?" Lyn nodded. "In fact, I happen to know one of those 'warrior women' personally," she added. "Really?" asked Mark, sounding eager once more. "What's she like?" "Ah, well..." began Lyn slowly, "She's not as fierce as you might think..." *** "Hold it right there, li'l missy! Where do you think you're going?" In the burnt-out husk of a town just recently razed to the ground, a petite figure gripped the reins of her pure white horse in a protective fashion, as she was menaced by two bandits. "Please, senor..." said the young girl, in a timid voice. "It was an accident, si?" "Such a sweet little thing," leered the other bandit. "Shame to let her go to waste..." "Well, she ran me over with her horse," growled the thug. "And I'm gonna take it out of her hide!" The other outlaw then turned his attention to the girl's impressive- looking mount. "So what should we do about her nag?" he asked. At this, the girl's eyes flared. "Do not lay a finger on him, senor!" "You watch your tongue, girlie!" snapped the first bandit. The girl clasped her hands in front of her, and gave the outlaws an imploring look. "Please, I beg of you... Do not harm him! You can do anything you want to me!" The first bandit, obviously the leader, gave a short bark of laughter. "Nice try, missy, but everyone knows that El Rhean horses are very rare, and very expensive... They're even worth more than your worthless hide! Now, gimme that horse!" He made a grab for the reins in the girl's hands, but she just managed to elude his grasp... With one swift motion, she mounted her horse; then clicking her heels to its sides, the girl began to canter away. Cursing loudly, the bandits rode after her, in hot pursuit. As she desperately tried to outrun them, tears welled up in the young woman's eyes... The only thought in her mind was, "I wish Lyn was here..." *** Meanwhile, Lyn and her companions had just come across a grim scene; an entire town, burned to the ground. The four could only stare blankly at the wanton destruction. Mark tried not to turn sick at the thought of what had happened here; he was again reminded that although he was fond of the Wild West, it was, in fact, a dangerous place to live in. "This place is a wreck!" exclaimed Sain, in disgust. "Why doesn't the Marshall 'round here do anything about this sorta thing?" "There's no law around these parts, I'm afraid," said Lyn quietly. She nodded at a distant mountainside. "That's Mt. Deliverance; I've heard a band of vicious outlaws have their hideout up there." Her voice became distant. "My village is on the other side of that mountain. Those outlaws... They came at night. In a single night, they nearly wiped out my entire tribe." The eyes of her companions widened as they heard this. "Lyn..." said Mark softly, feeling a lump form in his throat. She turned to look at him, her eyes shining with unshed tears. "I will never forgive them," she whispered. "Never." All of them fell silent for a moment... Then Lyn began to speak again. "Someday, I will return home, stronger than ever..." she declared, looking into the distance. "On that day, I will avenge my people... This, I swear." As she said this, Kent approached Lyn. "Then I'll be there, if you need me," he told her. "So will I," added Sain, saluting. Mark nodded seriously. "Me too." Lyn blinked, then closed her eyes in gratitude. "Thank you... All of you." After this declaration, they all rode without speaking for a while... Just then, Mark thought he heard something, at the edge of his hearing. "Is that a commotion up ahead?" he asked the others, his brow furrowing. Kent frowned. "I reckon I hear it too," he agreed. "We'd best be on our guard." Quickly, the group sped up, as they rode past the remains of the town. Mark then caught a blur of white coming towards them at great speed; he noticed Lyn's eyes widen in recognition. "A white horse?" she said aloud. "It can't be... Florina! Is that really you?" As the white horse got closer, Mark saw that its rider was a young girl around Lyn's age; she seemed to recognize Lyn, as well. "Lyn!" she cried out. Behind the girl, Mark also noticed a couple of toughs chasing after her... However, as soon as they noticed that their victim now had allies, they seemed to change their minds and backed off; still, Mark was certain they were just biding their time, waiting for an opportune moment to strike. He then turned his attention back to Lyn, who had ridden up to the girl on the white horse. "What on earth are you doing here, Florina?" she asked the girl. "I cannot believe it is really you, Lyn..." The girl began to sniffle. "Now, now, don't cry..." Lyn reassured her. "Miss Lynette? Is this a friend of yours?" asked Kent politely. Lyn nodded. "Yes, she is. This is Florina Mariposa, a Wind Rider from El Rhea." As the girl uneasily backed away from the others, the plainswoman then added, "I'm afraid she's a little nervous around men." She turned back to her friend. "Now Florina, please tell us what's the matter..." The girl called Florina started to speak rapidly with a heavy accent; Mark couldn't quite make out what she was saying, though he thought he could place her accent as being Spanish in origin. After a few moments of this, Lyn held up her hands. "Florina, please calm down!" she protested. "I'm afraid we can't understand what you're saying." At this, Florina blushed. After taking a deep breath, she began to speak again, in halting English. "Well... When I had heard you had left home, Lyn, I came looking for you. I was passing by this town, and was thinking to ask for directions... But I was riding so fast that I did not see these two men, and... Well..." "You didn't run them over, did you?" asked Lyn, looking worried. Florina hung her head. "Si... I am so sorry..." "Did you apologize to them?" She nodded vehemently. "Si! But they would not listen to me, Lyn... And now they will not leave me alone! They wished to take away Javier and to take me with them!" Sain shook his head. "Now, that just ain't right!" Lyn's expression hardened, as well. "Sain's right." She then patted Florina on the back, as the girl's shoulders shook with sobs. "I don't think that's the end of it either," added Mark, looking grim. He had just lowered his telescope, having just scouted the area around them. "I think we're surrounded; there's nearly ten bandits roaming this area, now." Lyn's eyes narrowed. "Then we'll have to fight." At this, Florina looked up, as she wiped away her tears. "Fight? You mean, us?" she inquired. Lyn nodded, with a determined look in her eyes. "That's right. You're a Wind Rider, aren't you, Florina? You know how to fight!" Florina's jaw dropped at this, then she nodded slowly. "You are right, of course... I can fight back!" Lyn smiled at her. "That's the spirit!" Meanwhile, Mark was examining the layout of the area again with his telescope... There was a tall wooden wall surrounding the remains of the ruined town, separating it from the outlying farmhouses. He nudged Lyn. "Hey, Lyn," Mark whispered to her. "The walls around this place might prove it difficult to fight around here... But then again, we may be able to use it to our advantage, as well," he added, thoughtfully. At this, Lyn nodded. Florina then seemed to notice him for the first time. "Um Lyn?" she asked. "Who are these men you are with?" "Oh, I'm sorry," apologized Lyn. "This here is Mark; you could say he's our stratagist, of sorts," she said with a smile, causing Mark to blush. "The two cavalrymen are Kent and Sain." At this, the two soldiers saluted at Florina. After casting an uneasy gaze at the men, Florina then bowed her head politely to them. "Uh... Nice to meet you all," she told them, in a barely audible voice. "So... You're a Wind Rider, is that right?" Mark addressed Florina, as he tried to keep the skepticism out of his voice. The girl nodded, as she huddled behind her horse. "Si, senor," she replied, while avoiding his gaze. "Though I am just a... How you say? Trainee, si?" Florina was... Not what Mark had expected, from one of the legendary Wind Riders of El Rhea. When he thought about those "Amazon warriors", as he had mistakenly called them, he imagined someone more like... Well, Lyn. Not someone meek and timid like Florina, who looked like a little girl with her pale, wavy hair, and white dress. Still, Mark knew he should give Florina the benefit of the doubt. She had the horse, a spear, and presumably the training, as well... Mark set his silly preconceptions of her aside. "So what kind of numbers do you reckon we're up against?" Kent asked Mark, briskly. "I believe I counted 4 men with axes, 3 with swords and 2 carrying rifles," reported Mark. "Which reminds me..." He turned to Florina, who flinched at his gaze. "Florina," Mark said carefully, so not to startle the girl, "can you tell me what the men who threatened you looked like?" "Um..." Florina looked thoughtful. "Well, one of them had brown hair and a beard..." she said softly. "And he was wearing a red shirt... I am thinking that he might be the leader." Mark nodded. "Thank you very much, Florina." He then gazed into the distance with his telescope. "I think I see someone fitting that description hiding behind one of the ruined houses," he told them. At this, Lyn's eyes narrowed. "Good. I'd like to ask that man a question," said the plainswoman, in a cold voice. Mark found himself exchanging an uneasy glance with Kent, who merely shrugged back at him. Shaking his head, he then looked into his telescope again. "Hmmm, looks like there's also a small farmhouse just nearby," Mark added, pointing into the distance. "Is that so?" asked Lyn, as she shaded her eyes and gazed in that direction. "You're right, Mark. Let's head over there right quick and warn them about the bandits... We shouldn't take long," she told the others. Kent nodded. *** The farmhouse wasn't too far away; it only took a moment for the two of them to reach it, on horseback. However, as soon as they approached the edge of the area, a shot rang out. "Are they attacking us?" asked Mark, as they tried to control their startled horses. "No, that was a warning shot," replied Lyn, pointing at the ground. "See? The bullet just grazed the ground by my horse's hooves; it was pretty close, though." "Then they must have very good aim, whoever they are," mused Mark. As they stopped in their tracks, Lyn addressed the residents of the house. "Excuse me?" she called out. "Look, we mean you no harm! We just wanted to warn you that there are bandits nearby!" There was a long pause. At last, the door of the house opened... The nozzle of a rifle then poked out; as the door opened further, it revealed that it was being aimed by a brown-haired boy, in a blue homespun shirt and dusty jeans. "So, you say you ain't bandits, huh?" asked the boy, without lowering the rifle. "Why are you folks trespassin' here, then?" Lyn held her hands up, in a peaceful gesture. "My name is Lyn. My companions and I were just riding through, when we noticed a gang of outlaws nearby, which we're planning to get rid of; we just thought we should let you all know." "If you could help warn the people around here about the danger, we'd really appreciate it," added Mark politely. "Is that so?" replied the boy. He slowly lowered his rifle. "Well, you seem like decent folks..." He looked thoughtful for a moment, then seemed to come to a decision. "Listen, I'm actually not from around these parts, either," he began. "But the folks 'round here have been good to me, and I want to return the favour." He then grinned. "The name's Wil Bartlett. I'm a pretty good shot, if I do say so myself... Let me help you take care those bandits." Lyn returned the smile. "Sure thing, Wil. We could always use an extra hand." Mark looked over their new recruit with an assessing eye. Despite his tough guy act earlier, Wil gave off the impression of a good-natured, country boy; he even wore cowboy boots, and a dark bandana tucked under his collar. After a quick conversation with the people in the house, and a borrowed horse from the barn, Wil was ready to go... They then rode back to the rest of their companions. "How's it going?" asked Lyn, as she reached the others. "They ain't budged since you folks have been gone," reported Kent. "I hope we make our move soon, then," muttered Sain. "I reckon we're being watched, and I'm itchin' to get rid of that feeling." "Don't worry, we'll fight back soon enough," reassured Lyn. Just then, Florina rode up to them. "Lyn, you've returned!" she exclaimed happily. Then her expression changed, to one of fear. "Behind you! There is a boy with a rifle!" "What?" Startled, Lyn looked around. Then she realized the source of Florina's distress, and smiled. "Oh, don't worry about him. That's just Wil. He offered to help us out." "Howdy there!" Wil greeted Florina cheerfully. When she only stared at him with wide eyes, he leaned over to whisper to Lyn. "A bit shy, ain't she?" "Sorry about that, Wil," apologized Lyn. "Florina's not used to being around men; she's actually a Wind Rider in-training from El Rhea." Wil then nodded, a knowing look in his eyes. "Ah, I reckon I understand, now... El Rhean horses can't handle shots from rifles, ain't that right?" "That's right, I read about that somewhere," mused Mark. "El Rhean horses are very fast, but that's only because their bone structure is so light... So, one well-aimed shot could shatter their bones instantly." At this, Florina shuddered. At her reaction, Mark looked sheepish. "I must apologize. I really shouldn't have brought that up..." Florina hung her head. "It is all right... I am sorry too. It's just that I am so afraid of rifles, that I don't even like to be looking at them..." She averted her gaze from Wil. "Aw shucks, don't fret none, ma'am." The rifleman tried to meet her gaze. "Just remember that you have nothin' to fear from me," he told her, honestly. "I swear that I won't fire my gun anywhere near your horse." Florina raised her eyes to look at Wil, then lowered them again. "I... I thank you, senor," she replied, in a soft voice. After she had said this, Mark cleared his throat. "Um, Florina... Do you mind if I have a word with you?" he asked her, nervously. At this, Florina gave Lyn an uneasy glance, but the plainswoman gave her a reassuring nod. She walked her horse up to Mark. "How can I help you, senor?" she asked meekly. "Florina," he asked her carefully, so not to frighten her, "is it true that El Rhean horses can leap over most obstacles, and are so surefooted that they can climb over whatever they can't jump?" Florina raised her chin proudly, at this. "That is correct." "Would you be able to jump the fence that runs around the town, then?" Mark pointed to the wooden fence in the distance, which was far too sheer for any of them to climb, and too high for a normal horse to jump over. "Si, senor." "All right, then... Florina, I would like to ask you to jump over that fence to the north, then head over to the other farm up there and warn them about the bandits." Florina nodded, and turned to ride off. "Is there anything else, senor?" she asked politely. "Um..." Mark looked sheepish, then went on. "Well... I was wondering if you could also lead one of the bandits away from the others... I understand if you don't want to, though," he added hastily. The girl paused in thought. "I... I think I can do that..." At this, Mark looked relieved. "Just keep him away as best as you can, then. And make sure only one of them sees you, all right? I don't want you to put yourself in any danger, Florina." She nodded. "I understand, senor." As Florina started to ride off into the distance, Kent addressed Mark. "What would you like the rest of us to do?" asked the soldier respectfully. Before Mark could respond, Lyn answered for him. "We'll fight our way back into the ruined town," she said, with a determined look in her eyes. Mark shrugged, and nodded in agreement. As the others started to work their way through the rest of the bandits, Mark decided to hang back and keep an eye on Florina. Despite the fact that he knew that Florina was a fighter, and therefore, must be able to take care of herself, Mark found it hard not to worry about her, considering her timid personality. Riding behind the rest of the group, he pulled out his trusty telescope, and turned it towards the other farmhouse. He had focused on her just in time to watch Florina soar over the high wooden fence separating the two farms, on her steed. Mark was impressed. So, the prowess of El Rhean horses was true, after all! In no time at all, she had reached the other farmhouse; it seemed that the speed of El Rhean horses was not exaggerated, either. Mark found himself hoping he could get a get a closer look at Florina's horse later on, despite the young woman's fear of men... (Not to mention the fact that he read somewhere that El Rhean horses weren't too fond of men, either...) Mark continued to watch as Florina had a quick conversation with the people in the farmhouse... They then shut themselves in the house, presumably to bar their doors from attack. Mark felt relieved at this; at least those people would be safe. He then watched in concern, as Florina proceeded to lure one of the bandits away from their comrades. He had a right to be worried, for Florina had managed to attract the attention of not just one, but two bandits... But Mark's worry proved to be unfounded, as the Wind Rider managed to elude both of them, by riding just out their reach. Frustrated, one of the bandits returned to his comrades, while the other persistantly chased Florina, as she wore him down. Satisfied that the girl had everything well in hand, Mark decided to turn his attention back to the others... They were slowly working their way through the wrecked town, having already slain quite a number of bandits. Just as Mark managed to focus his telescope on Lyn, he saw the plainswoman flag down someone nearby; this turned out to be Kent. He then observed curiously as she had a quick word with the cavalryman... As he continued to watch, the soldier pulled her up onto his horse, and rode off with Lyn towards one of the ruined buildings. Mark's brow furrowed, as he lowered his telescope. Just what was Lyn up to, anyways? *** Lyn held onto Kent's waist tightly, as he rode towards the back of one of the burned buildings. Fortunately, the soldier hadn't questioned her strange request, something that she had been grateful for; he had simply accepted, when she asked for a lift to this particular spot. "Thank you, Kent," she told him, as she dismounted. Kent nodded. "I'll be here if you need me, ma'am," he replied, tipping his hat to her. He then stood there, as Lyn strode to the back of the building. The bandit leader was leaning against the wall back there, looking wary... However, he seemed surprised as Lyn simply walked up to him, out in the open. "Well, well... Lookie what we have here," he leered. Lyn ignored his expression. "Hey, you... I want to ask you something." The bandit spat to the side. "What's that, girlie?" The plainswoman's eyes then narrowed. "Are you part of the Mt. Deliverance Gang?" The bandit leader looked offended, at this. "Hell no, lady! They're a bunch of monsters! They'd even kill women and children, if they had a chance!" He spat on the ground again. "Naw, I'm with the Gatlin Gang. We don't touch the womenfolk..." He then grinned, nastily. "Not when we can sell 'em, first." Lyn's expression didn't change. "Well, if you're not from Mt. Deliverance, then I'll give you a chance... We've already taken care of most of your men; give up now, if you want to live." At this, the bandit looked outraged. "Why, you...! No li'l missy is gonna backtalk me and get away with it!" Drawing his axe, he lunged at Lyn. The plainswoman managed to dodge his first attack, as she drew her sword. However, this bandit leader was far stronger than the previous ones she had encountered; despite her speed, he managed to get in a couple of hits in, and in doing so, cut her far more painfully than she had ever experienced before. As she winced from her wounds, Lyn found herself wondering if she could actually defeat this foe... Just then, there was a thundering of hooves behind her; Lyn saw a blur of red and the flash of a metal sweep past her, as the blade of another sword fatally stabbed the bandit in the heart. As the bandit's body collapsed onto the ground, Lyn fell to one knee; immediately, Kent dismounted and ran to Lyn's side. "Are you all right, ma'am?" he asked, in concern. The plainswoman nodded, as the cavalryman helped her up. "Don't worry, Kent... I can stand on my own." However, Lyn clutched her side, as she said this. At this, Kent hung his head. "I'm sorry that I interfered, Miss Lynette," he apologized. "I was watchin' your fight from afar, and it looked like you needed some help, there..." He tilted his hat over his face, looking contrite. Lyn smiled at him. "That's all right, Kent. I appreciate the help... If you hadn't charged in when you did, he might've gotten me, for sure." Kent then returned her smile, with a reluctant one of his own. Just then, the rest of the group caught up to them. "I saw what happened," said Mark, sounding out of breath. "Are you all right, Lyn?" "I'm fine," Lyn reassured the others, then winced. "Nothing some of my healing salve won't fix, I think." As Mark began to tend to her wounds, Lyn turned to Florina. "So Florina, you never did say why you came looking for me," commented Lyn. "It's dangerous to be wandering out here, all alone." At this, Florina shifted uneasily. "Miss Lyn," she began slowly, "do you recall how I was telling you what a trainee must do, before they become a full-fledged Wind Rider?" Lyn paused in thought for a moment. "Oh, that's right," said the plainswoman, finally. "You said that you had to join a posse, in order to gain experience in the field." Florina nodded. "That is correct. This is why I wished to speak to you... But when I had reached the Sacramento Plains, I heard that you had already gone off with a bunch of strangers..." Lyn shook her head, but with a smile. "So, you were worried about me?" she asked. "I'm sorry, but you really should worry more about yourself." Florina's brow furrowed in puzzlement. "What do you mean?" "Well, for starters..." began Lyn, "Most posses are made out of men... Tough men. I just don't think you'd be comfortable around those sort of folks." Florina hung her head. "I am realizing this... But it has always been my dream to become a real Wind Rider of El Rhea. I was thinking that it would all work out in the end, si?" She then averted her gaze. "But now... I am not so sure..." Mark and the others noticed tears in her eyes, as she said this. "Now, now, Florina..." reassured Lyn. "That's no reason to give up..." Just then, a wide grin spread across Sain's face. "Now, hold your horses there, Miss Florina..." he declared. "I just got me an idea!" Behind him, Kent tilted his hat over his face. "Oh, great..." he muttered. Oblivious to his partner's reaction, Sain went on. "Why don't you ride with us?" he asked Florina enthusiastically. "Now that we got Wil on our side, we've got more than enough for a real posse!" Wil raised his eyebrows. "Whoa, pardner... You mean me, as well?" Sain nodded. "That's right, kiddo!" He then took of his hat and put on his chest. "I reckon that it was providence that brought us all together, like this... With Miss Lynette's Windrunners, I reckon that we'll be the best bounty hunters around!" Kent glared at him. "Sain, would you think with your head for a spell? A posse ain't just something we can toss together like this!" As the two cavalrymen continued to argue in the background, Florina leaned over to speak to Lyn. "Um... Lyn? Why is he calling you by that name? And what is this about bounty hunters?" Overhearing this, Mark felt he should explain. "Er, don't mind Sain," he told her, somewhat embarrassed. "I think he's just getting a little carried away, again." Lyn nodded in agreement. "I'll explain everything else to you later," she said to Florina. The plainswoman then paused in thought. "Still, I think Sain does have the right idea..." mused Lyn. Turning back to the other girl, she enquired, "Would you like to join us, Florina?" At this, Florina's eyes lit up. "You... Want me to come with you, Miss Lyn? Oh, I would love to!" Hearing this, Sain pumped his fist in the air. "Yeehaw!" he cheered. "Glad to have another lovely lady on board, Miss Florina!" He reached out to take her hand. "I'm Sain Steele from Sierra," he introduced himself, "it's a pleasure to make your acquaintance..." However, before Sain could even touch her, Florina managed to duck behind Lyn. "Eeep! Please, senor! Not so close!" Behind Sain, Kent buried his face in his hand, as the rest of the group chuckled. Meanwhile, Wil sidled up to Lyn. "So... You folks don't mind havin' me along?" he enquired. Lyn smiled at him. "Not at all! We'd be glad to have you with us, Wil." As she said this, Wil scratched the back of his head sheepishly. "Actually, I reckon I should be thankin' you, ma'am," he told her. "I was robbed a while back, so I was kind of stuck out here..." He then smiled. "I'd be more than happy to call myself one of Miss Lynette's Windrunners!" At this, Lyn's eyes widened. "Oh dear, now he's calling me that, too..." she murmured softly to herself. "Things just keep getting stranger and stranger, don't they, Mark?" Mark could only shrug helplessly, in reply. TO BE CONTINUED... ***** In case you were wondering... Yes, I actually had Kent "rescue" Lyn so I could get her speech with the boss. XD Oh, and El Rhea is obviously supposed to be Ilia... (I guess it probably should be "La Rhea" instead, but I was aiming for something that sounded somewhat like the original name, rather than correct grammar. :P) I suppose I should apologize for Florina's accent, as well... (I wasn't quite sure how to write a Spanish accent without sounding too stereotypical, so I opted for a rather formal yet stilted manner of speech, for her.) *** Copyright, Aviatrix8, 2007. Fire Emblem and all related characters are property of Nintendo et al., and are used without permission.