Title: The Best Year of My Life
Characters: Rath x Lyndis
Word Count: 648
Timeline: This is post game.
Summary: It was the best of years; it was the worst of years …
Spoilers: It spoils the Rath x Lyn ending and a little bit of FE6 (if you get my drift …)
Dedication: To me because you asked for it. :P
Disclaimer: Nintendo and IS owns Fire Emblem already!
A/N: Hey, I'm gone on vacation and won't be back till Dec 29. Happy holidays, everyone:D (Here's another chapter to tide you over. Man, this isn't the first time I posted a first person story, but this was rushed so forgive it's crappy-ness.)

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It was a hard year for most of Sacae but especially for my tribe, the Kutolah.

Mother Earth and Father Sky must have had a clash of wills because it hasn't rained for weeks. The grass had become so dry that a wildfire had started and laid waste to a large portion of the plains.

We averted disaster by the skins of their teeth. We had awoken one night amidst frantic shouting. The night sky had turned orange and large gray smoke had billowed towards our gers. There hadn't been enough time to save our belongings; we'd ridden out with only our family and kin. The flames were as quick as a fleeing deer and we could only watch as the fire consumed our homes, tools, and supplies.

As the sun rose we salvaged what we could from the smoldering remains of our huts. To our sadness we saw that not all of the Kutolah had made it to safety. The charred bodies of the old and the very young were buried amongst the rubble.

In the end we committed the bodies of twelve tribesmen to Mother Earth.

My father had organized a hunt later that day; our people were hungry and needed strength to rebuild. However there was no game to be found for miles since the fires had chased away the rabbits and fowl. Even the roots and seeds we could have foraged for were burnt beyond use.

In the end only my hunting party had been successful. I had the honour of bringing the Kutolah a deer, but it had come at a price. One of the horses had galloped into a foxhole. The poor creature had broken his leg, and we had no choice but to return him to Mother Earth as well.

The other tribes were suffering as we were, but our death toll had been the highest. Now we were camped on the outskirts of Bulgar, the only city in the plains of Sacae. Food and supplies were scarce even in the city, and none seemed to be forthcoming. It was rumoured that Lycia and Etruria were sending some aid, but we had not seen anything tangible yet. Many Sacaens do not hold out much hope so we share with each other what we can.

As I sit outside one of the Lahoras tribe's gers, I look up at Father Sky with tired eyes. He is wearing his dark blue robes glittering with dew and the large bone pendant that is the moon. My own clothes are dirty and sooty, and most likely torn beyond repair.

But I do not care about that. There is only one thing that matters to me, and she is struggling in that ger.

I can hear Lyndis' cries of pain. Usually she stifles it to a mere groan, but now, she is shouting with her effort.

During our battles with Nergal I had seen her grievously injured but never has she cried out like this. Each yell that reaches my ears makes me pray to Mother Earth, Father Sky, and any other spirit that is willing to listen.

'Please let her live,' I say like a mantra. If Lyndis dies, I do not know what I would do.

Suddenly there is another cry that joins my wife's, and my heart stops.

In a moment the ger's flaps open and the Lahoras healer steps out. With a tired smile she says something to me but I cannot hear her.

When she repeats herself I manage to catch her words.

"Congratulations, Rath. You are the father of a healthy baby girl. Lyndis has named her Sue. Come meet your daughter."

The healer re-enters the ger to attend to her two patients. Instead of following I stay where I am and offer one last prayer.

'I thank Mother Earth and Father Sky for the best year of my life.'