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For some reason, I've had an urge to work on my Western version of Fire Emblem again (sadly, it's been over a year since I first came up with the idea -_-;). But of course, I didn't feel like working on the first chapter... Instead, I worked on Chapter 7. :P
Here it is, if you're interested... The new material is mostly a rewrite of the game script, bleah... But a necessary evil, I know. :/ Perhaps I'll tweak it so it doesn't follow the script so closely (I do try and make an effort to change the dialogue somewhat, so I don't feel like I'm copying the script directly :P).
Chapter 7: The Drifters
Castle Rock was a relatively quiet town on the plains of La Sierra, though it was occasionally enlivened by the presence of the Burning Brand saloon, in the heart of town.
As the image of a blazing iron brand hung over its swinging doors, a melancholy melody spilled out of the darkened saloon, and into the dusty streets.
"I'm just a lonesome, little girl,All alone in this great, big world..."
A pale girl with long, flowing hair currently stood upon the saloon's stage, slowly belting out a old country song... However, despite the sad tune, the men in the bar still hooted and and hollered after the young woman's singing performance.
As the young woman curtseyed, the owner of the saloon, who was standing in the wings, slowly shook his head.... He then motioned to a young boy sitting on a stool nearby.
"All right, Nils, you're up next!"
The young man, who was in the process of tuning his guitar, quickly nodded and slid off his seat. As he headed towards the stage, he happened to pass by the other performer.
"Nice performance, as usual, sis," he told her, with a smile.
"Thanks you, Nils," she replied demurely. "Good luck out there!"
She caught his hand in a quick, firm grip, before retiring to the wings.
As the singer headed past the saloon owner, the man gestured impatiently at her... Reluctantly, the young woman walked up to him.
"Listen, Ninian," the owner began. "I'll admit that you're a great singer, but... Geez, girl! Must you always sing such sad songs? You know, the men like a little more variety in their music every now and then!"
The young woman looked downcast. "I'm afraid those are all the songs I know, sir..."
The saloon owner shook his head. "Well, at least your brother understands how to liven up the crowd," he said grumpily.
Ninian looked up towards the stage, where her brother was playing a catchy tune with his guitar... Though the men in the saloon were happily stomping and clapping to the music, the light-hearted tone of Nils's music didn't match the worried expression on the fiddler's face.
The young woman could understand his concern... Still, no one had come looking for them for days, now... Perhaps they were safe here.
As she continued to stand in the wings and watch her brother perform, Ninian caught an odd movement out of the corner of her eye. As she glanced in that direction, she noticed with some dismay that a few rough-looking men had just entered the bar, and had pointed directly at Nils.
"Run, Nils!" she yelled to him, just before the first shot rang out.
Fortunately, her brother managed to dive for the opposite wing of the stage, in the nick of time... Just as the saloon's toughs began a shoving match with the men who attacked Nils.
Ninian breathed a sigh of relief, but only momentarily... She and Nils had to get out of this place; it was no longer safe here!
She turned to leave, only to run into something solid; as she looked up, she realized with a sinking feeling that she had ran straight into one of the men who was looking for them.
The young woman had just enough time to register the man's fist aimed towards her head, before darkness overcame her.
***
Nils lay flat on the floor of the stage's wing, grateful for his sister's warning; he was concentrating so hard on his music, that he had neglected to look out for trouble.
He had just picked himself off the floor and turned around, only to see an unnamed ruffian sling an unconscious Ninian over his shoulder, and run into the shadows of the opposite wing.
"Ninian!" screamed Nils. He made to run after his sister, but was stopped as someone grabbed him by the scruff of his shirt.
"Let me go! Let me go! I have to save my sister!" he yelled. Nils managed to drag his assailant halfway across the stage before they suddenly released him, causing the guitar player to lose his balance and fall to the ground again.
Nils managed to roll himself over, a bit dazed, only to confront the angry gaze of the saloon owner glaring down at him.
"How dare you bring trouble into my place! Get out!" bellowed the owner.
"But... My sister!" protested Nils.
"If I had known that you and your sister would bring those kind of men around here, I would never have let you work here in the first place! Now, get out of my saloon!"
Dejectedly, the guitar player picked himself off the floor, along with his instrument, which had miraculously survived all the excitement... He then slowly walked out the swinging doors of the saloon, as the other people in the bar pointedly ignored him.
However, little did Nils realize he was still being observed; by a figure sitting in the far corner of the bar, who was dressed in long, black robes, and a flat, wide-brimmed hat.
"Hmmm..."
The bartender, seemly unperturbed by the commotion (as it happened every day), politely wiped the counter in front of the solitary figure.
"Top off your tonic water, Padre?" asked the bartender respectfully.
The dark-robed priest shook his head. "No, that's okay." He placed a couple of dollars on the counter. "This should cover my tab, barkeep... And your trouble."
The young man then politely tipped his hat to the bartender, smiled, and walked out of the saloon.
As the priest left, the bartender stood stock-still for a moment, blinking... He had a caught a glimpse of the priest's face as he tipped his hat, and the man found himself thinking that was the prettiest young man he had ever seen...
The bartender shook his head, and dismissed the thought from his mind. He was a religious person at heart, and it definitely wasn't right, thinking about a holy man like that...
***
Meanwhile, just outside, Lyn and her companions were riding down the dusty road to the heart of town.
"What's the name of this place again, Kent?" enquired Lyn, as their horses plodded along.
"This is Castle Rock, ma'am," replied the cavalryman. "Sierra is just due south of here."
Sain nodded. "From here, I reckon that it's another ten days' ride before we reach the Mayor's ranch... And that's if nothing else goes wrong."
At this, Lyn's eyes misted over. "Ten days..." she murmured.
Mark, who was riding beside her, placed a comforting hand on her shoulder. "Don't worry... I'm sure we'll get to your grandfather in time." He gave her a tentative smile, which she also returned.
"Thanks, Mark. I appreciate the encouragement... Hmmm?"
Noticing that the young woman's sentence had been cut off, Mark glanced over at Lyn, to see a young boy dressed in a poncho tugging at the plainswoman's tunic.
"Excuse me, ma'am..." began the boy. Mark noted that he carried a guitar in his other hand. "Are you and your friends hired guns?"
"I suppose you could say that," answered Lyn. "Why?"
The boy's voice then turned pleading, and Mark saw that the grip around his instrument had tightened. "Please... You must help me!"
At those words, Kent rode up beside Lyn. "Miss Lynette, we can't trust anyone right now," he warned her, in a low tone. "Not even a little boy."
The plainswoman sighed. "I realize that, Kent." She turned back to the boy. "I'm sorry young man, but we're in a terrible rush... Isn't there anybody else in town who can help you?"
"There isn't enough time!" continued the boy desperately. "Ninian... My sister... Some thugs kidnapped her!"
As the boy said this, Sain snapped to attention. "Sister? Did you say your sister has been kidnapped, li'l pardner?"
Kent glared at his fellow soldier. "Sain..."
The young boy turned his attention to the other soldier. "That's right, sir! Some dangerous-looking outlaws took her." He suddenly looked downcast. "I don't know what I'd do without my sister..."
Sain gave Lyn an imploring look. "Miss Lynette! We have to help this poor kid!"
"Don't be a fool, Sain, we don't have time for this!" retorted Kent. "If the Mayor is as sick as they say, then we have to get back to Sierra as soon as we can!"
"Kent, please... I want to help this boy."
The soldier turned at that quiet voice, to find himself staring at Lyn.
"Miss Lynette?"
The plainswoman closed her eyes. "Please understand that I am still concerned about my grandfather... But I also can't allow a brother and sister to be separated like this. It isn't right."
Kent turned away. "I see..."
Lyn lowered her eyes. "I'm sorry, Kent."
The cavalryman turned to gaze at her again. "I'm just a simple soldier in your service, Miss Lynette," he told her frankly. "You don't have to say sorry to me. If this is what you really want to do, then I'll follow orders without question." He bowed his head, as Lyn looked at him gratefully.
"Thank you, Kent," said the plainswoman, with a smile.
"Well shoot, that was a right pretty speech there, pardner!" said Sain, with a grin. "You sounded just like one of them 'knights in shining armour' all of a sudden!" As his friend flushed and looked away in embarassment, Sain ruffled the young boy's hair affectionately.
"Looks like you're in luck, li'l pardner! We're gonna help save your sister!" The boy's eyes lit up.
"Can you tell us where they've taken her?" asked Lyn.
The boy looked uneasy, and fiddled with the instrument in his hands. "Actually, I think some of those outlaws are waiting just outside of town for me... They want to catch me, too."
The plainswoman shook her head. "Absolutely disgusting, picking on a child like this."
"We'd better check out what kind of numbers we're up against," said Mark thoughtfully.
Lyn nodded, and with that she and her companions rode out towards the edge of town.
***
As Lyn and her friends waited just outside of Castle Rock, Kent and Sain scouted ahead, while Mark pulled out his telescope and scanned the surrounding countryside. As he was doing so, the two soldiers returned and rode up to their leader.
"There's quite a few of them, but it's nothing that we can't handle," reported Kent. "Then we should be able to track them back to their hideout." The plainswoman nodded.
"All right then, take some of others with you and go on ahead. The rest of us will catch up with you guys."
Kent nodded, while Sain grinned and gave Lyn a lazy salute, before they both rode off.
"Hmmm..." Beside Lyn, Mark lowered his telescope, a grim look on his face. "Looks like these outlaws has some alchemists with them," he told her.
The plainswoman raised an eyebrow. "Alchemists?" she asked him curiously.
Her companion nodded. "That's right. They're explosive experts, specializing in the use of dynamite, bombs, and whatnot. Nasty stuff."
Lyn looked thoughtful. "Well, I guess we'll just have to keep on our guard, then... Huh?"
Out of the corner of his eye, Mark caught a glimpse of a dark swirl of fabric, just as Lyn drew her sabre. He turned to get a better look just in time to see the plainswoman point her sword, at a surprised young man dressed in black robes.
"Peace, ma'am," said robed young man, raising his hands before him. "I didn't mean to alarm you."
"Those robes..." Mark began, as he took in the newcomer's clothing. "Are you a priest of St. Elimine?"
The young man inclined his head politely. "That's right."
At this, Lyn sheathed her sword rather sheepishly. "Sorry about that, Father."
"That's quite all right. And I'm not fully ordained yet, so I am just a mere Brother. My name is Lucius."
"What can we do for you, Brother Lucius?" enquired Mark.
"That boy you offered your help to? I was at the saloon when he was first looking for aid," he explained. "I'm afraid the owner of the saloon wasn't willing to help him, at all... He treated the child quite poorly." Lyn's expression hardened. "That's terrible!"
Lucius removed his hat respectfully. "Anyways, I was hoping to offer my meager services to you to aid poor boy... If you will accept them, that is."
As the priest looked at the plainwoman hopefully, she cast an uncertain glance at Mark. He gave her an encouraging nod. With that, Lyn turned to Lucius with a smile.
"Very well. Welcome, Brother Lucius."
The priest bowed his head in gratitude. "Thank you very much, ma'am. May the Light of St. Elimine shine upon you and your friends."
***
While Lucius went off to introduce himself to the others, Lyn leaned over to whisper to Mark. "Are you sure about inviting that priest to our group? No offense intended, but he looks pretty frail. I'd hate to endanger him like this."
"That may be true, but he willingly offered his services to us," Mark reasoned. "I'm certain he didn't take that lightly. Also... See that prayerbook he's carrying?" Lyn nodded.
"That means he's skilled in the use of the Divine Light. Such holy abilities have strong powers of protection, and are very effective against the destructive forces of the alchemists were facing now."
Lyn stared at Mark with something approaching admiration. "That was very insightful, Mark. You really do know your stuff, don't you?"
The young man flushed in embarassment. "Oh, it's nothing, really..." he murmured.
"Don't sell yourself so short," Lyn retorted. "Sometimes, I think having you fall unconscious on my doorstep was the best thing that happened to me in a long time," she told Mark with a smile, causing the young man to blush even harder.
"Um, yes... Well then," began Mark, as he composed himself. "We should probably go help the others, now. Shall we?"
Lyn nodded in assent. They were just about to head out, when a young voice stopped them in their tracks.
"Wait! I want to help too!"
Both turned to see the boy in the poncho chasing them, slightly out of breath... Mark noticed that still carried his guitar in his other hand.
"But aren't you just a guitar player?" asked Lyn. "And you're only a little boy... I'm afraid that you won't be of much use in a shootout."
"I may be more useful than you know," he replied, with a smile. And with those enigmatic words, he strummed a light tune on his instrument.
Instantly, Mark felt a lightness in his body, as if some of the tension in his muscles was being lifted away... He glanced over at Lyn, to whom the boy seemed to be directing his music to, and noticed that she appeared even more refreshed by the song than he did.
As the young musician finished playing, both Lyn and Mark looked down at him in surprise.
"That was amazing," said Mark, in awe. "How did you do that?"
The boy only grinned in reply. "Can I help out now?"
Lyn shook her head, but with a smile. "All right, you can help... But only if you promise to keep away from all of the fighting. I'd hate to see you get hurt."
The young boy nodded. "I promise. By the way, my name is Nils."
"Welcome, Nils," greeted Lyn pleasantly.
"Well, Nils," added Mark, "why don't you go follow Brother Lucius, for now? He might need your help."
With a nod, the musician promptly headed off towards the others, with Lyn and Mark right behind him.
TO BE CONTINUED...
Here it is, if you're interested... The new material is mostly a rewrite of the game script, bleah... But a necessary evil, I know. :/ Perhaps I'll tweak it so it doesn't follow the script so closely (I do try and make an effort to change the dialogue somewhat, so I don't feel like I'm copying the script directly :P).
Chapter 7: The Drifters
Castle Rock was a relatively quiet town on the plains of La Sierra, though it was occasionally enlivened by the presence of the Burning Brand saloon, in the heart of town.
As the image of a blazing iron brand hung over its swinging doors, a melancholy melody spilled out of the darkened saloon, and into the dusty streets.
"I'm just a lonesome, little girl,All alone in this great, big world..."
A pale girl with long, flowing hair currently stood upon the saloon's stage, slowly belting out a old country song... However, despite the sad tune, the men in the bar still hooted and and hollered after the young woman's singing performance.
As the young woman curtseyed, the owner of the saloon, who was standing in the wings, slowly shook his head.... He then motioned to a young boy sitting on a stool nearby.
"All right, Nils, you're up next!"
The young man, who was in the process of tuning his guitar, quickly nodded and slid off his seat. As he headed towards the stage, he happened to pass by the other performer.
"Nice performance, as usual, sis," he told her, with a smile.
"Thanks you, Nils," she replied demurely. "Good luck out there!"
She caught his hand in a quick, firm grip, before retiring to the wings.
As the singer headed past the saloon owner, the man gestured impatiently at her... Reluctantly, the young woman walked up to him.
"Listen, Ninian," the owner began. "I'll admit that you're a great singer, but... Geez, girl! Must you always sing such sad songs? You know, the men like a little more variety in their music every now and then!"
The young woman looked downcast. "I'm afraid those are all the songs I know, sir..."
The saloon owner shook his head. "Well, at least your brother understands how to liven up the crowd," he said grumpily.
Ninian looked up towards the stage, where her brother was playing a catchy tune with his guitar... Though the men in the saloon were happily stomping and clapping to the music, the light-hearted tone of Nils's music didn't match the worried expression on the fiddler's face.
The young woman could understand his concern... Still, no one had come looking for them for days, now... Perhaps they were safe here.
As she continued to stand in the wings and watch her brother perform, Ninian caught an odd movement out of the corner of her eye. As she glanced in that direction, she noticed with some dismay that a few rough-looking men had just entered the bar, and had pointed directly at Nils.
"Run, Nils!" she yelled to him, just before the first shot rang out.
Fortunately, her brother managed to dive for the opposite wing of the stage, in the nick of time... Just as the saloon's toughs began a shoving match with the men who attacked Nils.
Ninian breathed a sigh of relief, but only momentarily... She and Nils had to get out of this place; it was no longer safe here!
She turned to leave, only to run into something solid; as she looked up, she realized with a sinking feeling that she had ran straight into one of the men who was looking for them.
The young woman had just enough time to register the man's fist aimed towards her head, before darkness overcame her.
***
Nils lay flat on the floor of the stage's wing, grateful for his sister's warning; he was concentrating so hard on his music, that he had neglected to look out for trouble.
He had just picked himself off the floor and turned around, only to see an unnamed ruffian sling an unconscious Ninian over his shoulder, and run into the shadows of the opposite wing.
"Ninian!" screamed Nils. He made to run after his sister, but was stopped as someone grabbed him by the scruff of his shirt.
"Let me go! Let me go! I have to save my sister!" he yelled. Nils managed to drag his assailant halfway across the stage before they suddenly released him, causing the guitar player to lose his balance and fall to the ground again.
Nils managed to roll himself over, a bit dazed, only to confront the angry gaze of the saloon owner glaring down at him.
"How dare you bring trouble into my place! Get out!" bellowed the owner.
"But... My sister!" protested Nils.
"If I had known that you and your sister would bring those kind of men around here, I would never have let you work here in the first place! Now, get out of my saloon!"
Dejectedly, the guitar player picked himself off the floor, along with his instrument, which had miraculously survived all the excitement... He then slowly walked out the swinging doors of the saloon, as the other people in the bar pointedly ignored him.
However, little did Nils realize he was still being observed; by a figure sitting in the far corner of the bar, who was dressed in long, black robes, and a flat, wide-brimmed hat.
"Hmmm..."
The bartender, seemly unperturbed by the commotion (as it happened every day), politely wiped the counter in front of the solitary figure.
"Top off your tonic water, Padre?" asked the bartender respectfully.
The dark-robed priest shook his head. "No, that's okay." He placed a couple of dollars on the counter. "This should cover my tab, barkeep... And your trouble."
The young man then politely tipped his hat to the bartender, smiled, and walked out of the saloon.
As the priest left, the bartender stood stock-still for a moment, blinking... He had a caught a glimpse of the priest's face as he tipped his hat, and the man found himself thinking that was the prettiest young man he had ever seen...
The bartender shook his head, and dismissed the thought from his mind. He was a religious person at heart, and it definitely wasn't right, thinking about a holy man like that...
***
Meanwhile, just outside, Lyn and her companions were riding down the dusty road to the heart of town.
"What's the name of this place again, Kent?" enquired Lyn, as their horses plodded along.
"This is Castle Rock, ma'am," replied the cavalryman. "Sierra is just due south of here."
Sain nodded. "From here, I reckon that it's another ten days' ride before we reach the Mayor's ranch... And that's if nothing else goes wrong."
At this, Lyn's eyes misted over. "Ten days..." she murmured.
Mark, who was riding beside her, placed a comforting hand on her shoulder. "Don't worry... I'm sure we'll get to your grandfather in time." He gave her a tentative smile, which she also returned.
"Thanks, Mark. I appreciate the encouragement... Hmmm?"
Noticing that the young woman's sentence had been cut off, Mark glanced over at Lyn, to see a young boy dressed in a poncho tugging at the plainswoman's tunic.
"Excuse me, ma'am..." began the boy. Mark noted that he carried a guitar in his other hand. "Are you and your friends hired guns?"
"I suppose you could say that," answered Lyn. "Why?"
The boy's voice then turned pleading, and Mark saw that the grip around his instrument had tightened. "Please... You must help me!"
At those words, Kent rode up beside Lyn. "Miss Lynette, we can't trust anyone right now," he warned her, in a low tone. "Not even a little boy."
The plainswoman sighed. "I realize that, Kent." She turned back to the boy. "I'm sorry young man, but we're in a terrible rush... Isn't there anybody else in town who can help you?"
"There isn't enough time!" continued the boy desperately. "Ninian... My sister... Some thugs kidnapped her!"
As the boy said this, Sain snapped to attention. "Sister? Did you say your sister has been kidnapped, li'l pardner?"
Kent glared at his fellow soldier. "Sain..."
The young boy turned his attention to the other soldier. "That's right, sir! Some dangerous-looking outlaws took her." He suddenly looked downcast. "I don't know what I'd do without my sister..."
Sain gave Lyn an imploring look. "Miss Lynette! We have to help this poor kid!"
"Don't be a fool, Sain, we don't have time for this!" retorted Kent. "If the Mayor is as sick as they say, then we have to get back to Sierra as soon as we can!"
"Kent, please... I want to help this boy."
The soldier turned at that quiet voice, to find himself staring at Lyn.
"Miss Lynette?"
The plainswoman closed her eyes. "Please understand that I am still concerned about my grandfather... But I also can't allow a brother and sister to be separated like this. It isn't right."
Kent turned away. "I see..."
Lyn lowered her eyes. "I'm sorry, Kent."
The cavalryman turned to gaze at her again. "I'm just a simple soldier in your service, Miss Lynette," he told her frankly. "You don't have to say sorry to me. If this is what you really want to do, then I'll follow orders without question." He bowed his head, as Lyn looked at him gratefully.
"Thank you, Kent," said the plainswoman, with a smile.
"Well shoot, that was a right pretty speech there, pardner!" said Sain, with a grin. "You sounded just like one of them 'knights in shining armour' all of a sudden!" As his friend flushed and looked away in embarassment, Sain ruffled the young boy's hair affectionately.
"Looks like you're in luck, li'l pardner! We're gonna help save your sister!" The boy's eyes lit up.
"Can you tell us where they've taken her?" asked Lyn.
The boy looked uneasy, and fiddled with the instrument in his hands. "Actually, I think some of those outlaws are waiting just outside of town for me... They want to catch me, too."
The plainswoman shook her head. "Absolutely disgusting, picking on a child like this."
"We'd better check out what kind of numbers we're up against," said Mark thoughtfully.
Lyn nodded, and with that she and her companions rode out towards the edge of town.
***
As Lyn and her friends waited just outside of Castle Rock, Kent and Sain scouted ahead, while Mark pulled out his telescope and scanned the surrounding countryside. As he was doing so, the two soldiers returned and rode up to their leader.
"There's quite a few of them, but it's nothing that we can't handle," reported Kent. "Then we should be able to track them back to their hideout." The plainswoman nodded.
"All right then, take some of others with you and go on ahead. The rest of us will catch up with you guys."
Kent nodded, while Sain grinned and gave Lyn a lazy salute, before they both rode off.
"Hmmm..." Beside Lyn, Mark lowered his telescope, a grim look on his face. "Looks like these outlaws has some alchemists with them," he told her.
The plainswoman raised an eyebrow. "Alchemists?" she asked him curiously.
Her companion nodded. "That's right. They're explosive experts, specializing in the use of dynamite, bombs, and whatnot. Nasty stuff."
Lyn looked thoughtful. "Well, I guess we'll just have to keep on our guard, then... Huh?"
Out of the corner of his eye, Mark caught a glimpse of a dark swirl of fabric, just as Lyn drew her sabre. He turned to get a better look just in time to see the plainswoman point her sword, at a surprised young man dressed in black robes.
"Peace, ma'am," said robed young man, raising his hands before him. "I didn't mean to alarm you."
"Those robes..." Mark began, as he took in the newcomer's clothing. "Are you a priest of St. Elimine?"
The young man inclined his head politely. "That's right."
At this, Lyn sheathed her sword rather sheepishly. "Sorry about that, Father."
"That's quite all right. And I'm not fully ordained yet, so I am just a mere Brother. My name is Lucius."
"What can we do for you, Brother Lucius?" enquired Mark.
"That boy you offered your help to? I was at the saloon when he was first looking for aid," he explained. "I'm afraid the owner of the saloon wasn't willing to help him, at all... He treated the child quite poorly." Lyn's expression hardened. "That's terrible!"
Lucius removed his hat respectfully. "Anyways, I was hoping to offer my meager services to you to aid poor boy... If you will accept them, that is."
As the priest looked at the plainwoman hopefully, she cast an uncertain glance at Mark. He gave her an encouraging nod. With that, Lyn turned to Lucius with a smile.
"Very well. Welcome, Brother Lucius."
The priest bowed his head in gratitude. "Thank you very much, ma'am. May the Light of St. Elimine shine upon you and your friends."
***
While Lucius went off to introduce himself to the others, Lyn leaned over to whisper to Mark. "Are you sure about inviting that priest to our group? No offense intended, but he looks pretty frail. I'd hate to endanger him like this."
"That may be true, but he willingly offered his services to us," Mark reasoned. "I'm certain he didn't take that lightly. Also... See that prayerbook he's carrying?" Lyn nodded.
"That means he's skilled in the use of the Divine Light. Such holy abilities have strong powers of protection, and are very effective against the destructive forces of the alchemists were facing now."
Lyn stared at Mark with something approaching admiration. "That was very insightful, Mark. You really do know your stuff, don't you?"
The young man flushed in embarassment. "Oh, it's nothing, really..." he murmured.
"Don't sell yourself so short," Lyn retorted. "Sometimes, I think having you fall unconscious on my doorstep was the best thing that happened to me in a long time," she told Mark with a smile, causing the young man to blush even harder.
"Um, yes... Well then," began Mark, as he composed himself. "We should probably go help the others, now. Shall we?"
Lyn nodded in assent. They were just about to head out, when a young voice stopped them in their tracks.
"Wait! I want to help too!"
Both turned to see the boy in the poncho chasing them, slightly out of breath... Mark noticed that still carried his guitar in his other hand.
"But aren't you just a guitar player?" asked Lyn. "And you're only a little boy... I'm afraid that you won't be of much use in a shootout."
"I may be more useful than you know," he replied, with a smile. And with those enigmatic words, he strummed a light tune on his instrument.
Instantly, Mark felt a lightness in his body, as if some of the tension in his muscles was being lifted away... He glanced over at Lyn, to whom the boy seemed to be directing his music to, and noticed that she appeared even more refreshed by the song than he did.
As the young musician finished playing, both Lyn and Mark looked down at him in surprise.
"That was amazing," said Mark, in awe. "How did you do that?"
The boy only grinned in reply. "Can I help out now?"
Lyn shook her head, but with a smile. "All right, you can help... But only if you promise to keep away from all of the fighting. I'd hate to see you get hurt."
The young boy nodded. "I promise. By the way, my name is Nils."
"Welcome, Nils," greeted Lyn pleasantly.
"Well, Nils," added Mark, "why don't you go follow Brother Lucius, for now? He might need your help."
With a nod, the musician promptly headed off towards the others, with Lyn and Mark right behind him.
TO BE CONTINUED...
