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 4: Trapped in the Ghost Town It was almost sunset when the newly-dubbed "Miss Lynette's Windrunners" rode through the dusty road of a town, long abandoned. Blank storefronts glared at them balefully, as the paint peeled off their bleached timbers. "We can bed down here tonight," said Wil, halting his horse. "Here? In this run-down, ol' ghost town?" Sain snorted. "You're pullin' my leg, ain't ya, Wil?" "Sain's got a point..." admitted Mark, a bit reluctantly. He half-expected to see a dried-up old tumbleweed roll past them, at any moment now. Wil shook his head. "What with all the bandits 'round here, there ain't that many safe places where we can stay; this is the best we can do, for tonight." Kent shrugged. "Well, it can't be helped... Let's take a look around." After a bit of exploring, the group chose the largest building in town to bed down in. Though a lot of the roof was missing, the walls of the building were still intact; Mark thought it might have been the Town Hall, back when the town was still prosperous. "This will do," said Lyn. "I prefer the open air, anyways." "I'll be fine as long as I'm with Miss Lyn," added Florina. "And this soldier will be right at your side, protecting you fine ladies," grinned Sain, with a tip of his hat. Kent glared at him. "Did you forget we're on watch duty tonight, Sain? You and I will be takin' turns, on guard." "Aw, shoot..." As Sain looked despondant, Wil started a campfire, while the others led their horses into an empty corner of the building. They had just about finished setting up camp, when suddenly, there was a sharp cracking noise, made louder by the silence of the deserted town. Instantly, the entire group was alert. Mark found himself jumping in surprise, as the rest of the group reached for their weapons. "Who's there?" said Lyn, glaring into the shadows. There was pause, then a slight figure walked towards the firelight. "Um... Excuse me..." said a diffident voice, obviously belonging a woman. The group relaxed a little. Lyn lowered her sword. "What can we do for you, ma'am?" she asked politely. The source of the voice walked further into view, revealing a brown-haired woman in a plain, homespun dress; she was leading a mule behind her. "I'm sorry to barge in on y'all like this... My name is Natalie Moore. I'm from a nearby settlement." She stepped over some fallen timber, which was most likely the source of the noise from before. Mark, being the closest, couldn't help notice the grimace of pain that spread across Natalie's face, as she did so. "Are you all right, ma'am?" he asked, concerned. It was then that he could clearly see what was bothering her. "Your leg..." murmured Lyn. It was now visibly obvious to the group that the woman's leg was deformed. Natalie seemed resigned at the attention drawn to the deformity, but shook it off. "It's nothin'," she said simply. "I got this bum leg from a childhood illness. I've gotten used to it, but I can't walk for very long; that's why I rode over here." "What are you doing way out here, anyways?" asked Lyn. "It isn't safe to be all alone in these parts." "I'm lookin' for my husband," Natalie explained. "He told me he'd be lookin' for work around here... He's been tryin' to earn money to get my leg healed, you see, so he left the settlement a while ago... But I haven't heard from him since." She paused for a moment. "My husband is a good man," she said slowly. "But I fear he may have gotten involved with some dangerous folk, for my sake." She then held out a small square of paper to Lyn. As Mark glanced over Lyn's shoulder, he saw that it was, in fact, a faded brown- and-white photograph, of a stocky man, with kind eyes. "My husband's name is Dorcas Moore. Have you seen him?" asked Natalie hopefully. Lyn examined the photo, then shook her head. "Sorry ma'am, I'm afraid I've never met this man before." "I see..." Natalie looked downcast. "Well, if you do meet him, please let him know that his wife is lookin' for him." Lyn gave her a small smile. "I will. I promise." Just then, Kent tapped Lyn's shoulder, a grim expression on his face. "Bad news, Miss Lynette... I'm afraid we're surrounded." Lyn turned around, in shock. "What? How?" "I reckon it's those same bandits from before, the Gatlin Gang," called out Sain, from his vantage point at one of the broken windows. "Think they want some revenge for what we did to their men." He shot her a lazy grin. "Should we mosey on out there and make 'em sorry for tailin' us?" "No, we can't risk exposing Miss Natalie to danger," said Lyn, causing the other woman to flush in embarassment. "How about we let them come to us, then?" suggested Mark timidly. "This place still has good, solid walls; that means we'll just have to guard the doors and windows." "Good idea, Mark," agreed Lyn. "Then all we'll have to do is hold out until nightfall, when it'll be too dark for them to fight us." She turned to Natalie. "Don't worry, we'll protect you." Natalie smiled weakly at her. "I thank you, ma'am..." As Lyn reassured the other woman, Mark carefully took stock of the building they were now holed up in. There were only two entrances; a pair of double doors to the southwest, and a side door to the east. All the windows were boarded up very tightly, except for the west window, which was the one Sain had been watching from; that had a few broken glass panes. So, that makes two spots to guard from incoming bandits, mused Mark to himself. Three if you include the window, since it counts a weak point. All right, then... "Can I have everyone's attention?" asked Mark, as the others turned to look at him. "Here's what I think we should do: Kent, Sain, you two guard the front doors from attack. Lyn, you watch the side door, while Wil can keep an eye on that broken window to the side; he should be able to shoot at anyone who comes too close. Florina should help out anyone who needs it. How does that sound?" "We hear ya, commander," grinned Sain, as everyone else nodded in agreement. "Commander?" asked Mark, bewildered. "Oh, don't mind Sain," said Lyn, patting him on the back. "He's just teasing you." Just then, a shout rang out from outside. "Hey! You in there!" yelled the leader of the bandits. "We've got you surrounded! There's no place to run, so why don't you just surrender now... Maybe we'll even let you live!" The sniggers from the outlaws outside could be heard from even inside the building. "If you want us so badly, why don't you come in here and get us?" Lyn yelled back, mockingly. The speaker let out an audible growl. "Suit yerselves. Go get 'em, boys!" As the bandits charged the building, Mark gestured to the group. "Quick! Take your positions!" he called out. Immediately, the group spread out. Kent and Sain stood on either side of the main doorway, with their backs to the wall and brandishing their swords; Lyn guarded the side entrance, in a fighting stance; Wil broke one of the lower panes of the window he was guarding with the butt of his rifle, and prepared to aim; and even timid Florina tightened the grip on her spear and looked ready to aid in the fight. Mark then turned to Natalie, who still looked apprehensive. "Stay back here, by the fire," he said gently. "And don't worry about a thing, these people will defend you with their lives." Natalie could only nod at him in reply, her eyes wide with fear. Mark patted her on the back reassuringly, then turned his attention to the fight. It had just started; a couple of axemen had just charged the front doors, but were held back by the two cavalrymen; Wil looked like he was already shooting at something outside... Then he glanced over at Lyn, who was over by the other doorway. His eyes widened. "Isn't that...?" he said to himself, aloud. Lyn seemed to notice something was amiss, as well; as she clashed her sword with her opponent's axe, an expression of recognition spread across her face. "Aren't you..?" Lyn began, as she parried the axeman's attack. Then both leapt back, and resumed fighting stances. "Hey!" she called out to her opponent. "Your name is Dorcas Moore, isn't it?" The axeman, who indeed resembled the man in Natalie's photograph, looked taken aback, then raised his weapon again. "How do you know my name?" he asked, with narrowed eyes. "Your wife told us," replied Lyn, projecting calm in her voice. "What are you doing with these outlaws?" "I need the money," he answered gruffly. "Yes, but they're still outlaws," Lyn pointed out. "Why work for a gang of thugs?" "This is the only way I can earn any cash around here," said Dorcas. "I'm just a woodcutter; I don't have any other skills. Besides, I need the money to cure my wife's sickness." Lyn's expression hardened. "If you're trying to help your wife, then why are you trying to kill her?" Dorcas looked bewildered at this. "What are you talkin' about?" "Your wife, Natalie? She's here, right now. My friends and I are protecting her, at this very moment." Lyn moved aside briefly, allowing Dorcas to look behind her. The axeman could now clearly see Natalie sitting by the fire, as Mark tried to comfort her. Dorcas's eyes widened. "B-but... What's she doing here?" "She was looking for you," replied Lyn, grimly. "Do you think your wife would be happy to see you like this? Working as an outlaw?" The axeman met her steady gaze. Then finally, he lowered his weapon. "You're right, miss," said Dorcas quietly. "From now on, I won't work for any more bandits." He then looked serious. "Listen, I want to thank you for protectin' my wife, like this. Lemme return the favour, by helpin' y'all defend this place." Lyn looked surprised. "You mean that?" Dorcas gave her a small smile. "Yes ma'am, I do." *** Mark watched as Dorcas shook hands with Lyn, in an obvious gesture of truce, then looked on as the two headed out the door, presumably to defend that side from invaders. He heaved a sigh of relief, to himself. Natalie overheard this, and mistook Mark's expression. "Is there something wrong?" she asked. Mark patted her hand. "Not at all, Miss Natalie. I think something has just turned in our favour... In fact, I do believe your husband is going to help us out." Her eyes widened. "My husband? You mean... Dorcas is here?" Mark nodded. "That's right, madam. He must've been... Passing by, and noticed we were in danger, so he decided to help." As he said this, Natalie gave him a look of disbelief, and Mark couldn't blame her; he knew that he was a terrible liar. She lowered her eyes. "You don't have to defend him, sir... I already suspected he might've been working for outlaws..." She then raised her head and smiled at him. "But I'm still happy that he changed his mind." Mark returned her smile, with a weak one of his own. He then turned his attention back to the fight, and signalled to Florina. As the Wind Rider turned to him, Mark made a gesture indicating that she should help out Wil defend the window from attack. The girl looked hesitant at first, then nodded and headed over to help the rifleman. Mark then glanced at the front doors, where the two cavalrymen were just barely keeping a veritable horde of bandits at bay. "Shoot, they just keep comin', don't they?" complained Sain, as he and Kent defended the doorway from yet another wave of incoming bandits. "They must really be sore at us..." "The way things are going, we may be overrun before night falls," added Kent, with a frown. Overhearing this, Mark tried to encourage the two. "Just do the best you can," he told them, but a line of worry had appeared across his forehead. They're right, he thought. We'll have to end this soon; we simply can't hold out here, for long... They'll just wear us down with their overwhelming numbers. As Mark continued to fret, he then heard someone call out to him. "What is it, Wil?" he asked, turning to the rifleman. "Doesn't look like there are any more reinforcements comin' 'round this side," said Wil, as he peered down the line of his rifle. "I reckon it might be safe for me and Florina to move now, if you need some support elsewhere." Mark looked relieved at his words. "That's good to hear, Wil. Why don't you go ahead then and help Kent and Sain at the main doors, and Florina can go help out Lyn outside." The two nodded, and stepped away from the window they were guarding. Mark trusted that Wil's observation was accurate, and there would be no more bandits attacking at that spot. Just as Wil started to shoot at some of the bandits the two cavalrymen were fighting, Mark heard his name being called out again. "Yes, Kent?" he answered. "Looks like their numbers are finally thinnin' up here as well," reported Kent. "I reckon we don't need to stay bottled up here in this doorway, for much longer." Mark breathed another sigh of relief. "All right, then... As soon as the coast is clear, you three spread out spread out a bit and start looking for their leader. If we can get rid of him, them I'm sure the rest of the bandits will sound a retreat, as well." Hearing this, Kent, Sain and Wil prepared to move forward, as soon as there was a break in the fighting. This came sooner than Mark expected, and when it did, the three young men moved out from their position, splitting up as they did so; although Wil was careful not to stray too far from the two soldiers, so he wouldn't get ambushed. Seeing that the three had things well at hand, Mark returned to check on Natalie. "Um... How is the fight going?" she asked, in concern. Mark smiled at her. "Don't worry, I'm sure it will be all over soon." Her eyes widened. "You mean... You think we're going to win?" He nodded. "I believe so." Natalie closed her eyes in relief. "I can't thank you folks enough, then..." she told him. "Well, we're not out of it yet," Mark told her, honestly. "But I think we're going to make it." Mark then found himself worrying about Lyn, for a moment. She had moved out of his line of sight, when she had gone out the side door... But she had to be fine, right? She had Natalie's husband with her, and he sent Florina to help her, as well... Although Mark knew the plainswoman could take care of herself (probably), he couldn't help but be a little concerned about her, at times. Just then, Mark heard a couple of shouts in the distance, which he couldn't quite make out, from inside the building... Making a motion towards Natalie to stay where she was, he gingerly poked his head outside the main doorway. He was now able to hear the pounding of hoofbeats in the distance, as the rest of group walked back towards the ruined building, looking weary but triumphant. Mark looked around, until he met Lyn's tired gaze. "I take it we won?" he asked. She nodded, and smiled. "Yes, we've won... Thanks to your quick thinking." Behind her, strolled Sain, whose sabre was covered in blood. "I got their leader, too," drawled the cavalryman, "right when that dirty son of a..." Casting a glance at the girls in the group, he hastily edited, "Pup... Was gonna turn tail and run." Kent nodded. "Just in the nick of time... I reckon that we were about to run out of light, as well," he added, gazing up at the rapidly darkening sky. Mark then felt movement beside him... He turned just in time, to see Natalie join him in the doorway. He then watched as her eyes lit up, when she saw who was walking beside Lyn. "Dorcas!" she cried out. The axeman looked up, as he heard his name. "Natalie..." The young woman limped up to her husband, who then clasped her in a warm embrace. Mark could barely hear a muffled, "I'm sorry," from Dorcas, while his wife could only reply with sobs of relief, simply grateful that her husband was safe. As Lyn walked up to Mark, they exchanged a contented glance, at a job well done. *** While the rest of the group headed inside the ruined building to settle down for the night, Dorcas spoke with Lyn and Mark privately, outside. "I can't thank you enough for what y'all done for my wife," the axeman told them. "Think nothing of it," replied Lyn, with a smile. Mark nodded. "I'm just glad that everything worked out." Just then, Natalie walked out of the building, with her mule in tow. Dorcas took a moment to help his wife mount up, then turned back to Lyn and Mark. "I'm gonna make sure my wife gets home safely... I reckon I'll see you folks in the morning, then." Lyn raised an eyebrow. "See us in the morning? Aren't you going to go home, with your wife?" "Well..." Dorcas rubbed the back of his head, in sheepish manner. "Mr. Alexander here offered to hire me for my services... I reckon I couldn't refuse such a kind offer." Lyn glanced suspiciously at Mark, who had the decency to look embarrassed. "Well, you should know then that we're heading to La Sienna," she explained to Dorcas. "That's in the next county... Are you sure you still want to come along?" The axeman nodded. "Mark mentioned that, too. But I gotta make a livin' somehow, and if I have to travel away from home, so be it. 'Sides..." He cast a sidelong glance at his wife. "It's the least that I could do, after what you folks did for us." Natalie nodded, as well. "Me and my husband talked this over, and we're both agreed on this, ma'am." Lyn shook her head, but with a smile. "Well, I suppose I can't refuse then, can I?" As Dorcas mounted up behind his wife, Natalie turned to Lyn and Mark again. "I know you folks will take good care of my husband... Take care, y'all." Lyn and Mark waved goodbye to the couple, as they rode off, into the night. *** As Lyn and Mark stepped back into the building, the plainswoman breathed a sigh of relief. "Looks like everything has finally settled down," she observed. Mark nodded, in agreement. Just then, Kent walked up to them, and saluted. "Why don't you folks bed down for the night," he told them. "Sain and I will be takin' turns on guard duty tonight, so you can rest easy." Lyn raised her eyebrows. "Are you sure that's all right? Sain?" She turned to the other cavalryman, who was sitting by the fire... It almost looked like he was dozing, but he started when the plainswoman addressed him. "Hmmm...? Oh, I reckon we'll be fine," answered Sain. Lyn eyed him suspiciously. "I trust that you'll be alert all night, then? If you're caught off guard, then you may be cut down, without mercy." Sain drew himself up proudly. "Ain't I a soldier of the cavalry, l'il lady? I'm always on duty! You can count on me!" Kent nodded. "You have nothing to fear, Miss Lynette. Please, sleep well." Lyn relaxed, at this. "Very well, then. Good night, you two... And sleep well, Mark." Lyn and Mark headed off to their respective bedrolls, while Kent sat by the main doors, to keep watch. Meanwhile, left all alone, Sain chuckled. "Nobody ever trusts me, do they?" he murmured to himself, in an amused tone. Then tilting his hat over his face, he dozed off, until he'd be awakened for his turn on watch duty. TO BE CONTINUED... ***** I know I've been keeping to the game script for the most part in the past couple of chapters, but I promise that there'll be more original material in the next one. ;) (I'd like to add more original stuff quite frankly, but I think that it would detract from the main plot.) Here are a couple of name references for the previous chapter: Florina Mariposa - Mariposa means "butterfly" in Spanish. (Apparently, it can also be a profanity when directed to males, heh.) Oh, and I forgot to mention that I also renamed her mount from Huey to Javier. Wil Bartlett - Inspired by Will Scarlett, from Robin Hood. (Yes, I'm fond of puns.) Originally I planned Wil's last name to be Baretta, but I thought the gun reference was too obvious... *** Copyright, Aviatrix8, 2007. Fire Emblem and all related characters are property of Nintendo et al., and are used without permission.