Chapter Text
Golden hills that stretched on forever, a setting sun kissing the horizon as it covered the world in its final glistening embrace. A soft wind that blew through each blade of grass, leaving them dancing in its wake. By all rights it was the best landscape he'd ever drawn, not even the dawning morning on Bern's mountain peaks came close to the sense of peace and fulfillment that he felt when he looked down at his work. And yet… Mark tossed his sketchbook to the side and sighed. It was missing something.
The sun dipped below the horizon and shrouded the plains in a soft silence. He knew that he should head back to his ger before it got too late but he felled compelled to stay. It wasn't like there was anyone waiting for him anyways, so what was the harm? He laughed mirthlessly to himself, not having to worry about anyone else was the only good thing about being alone.
Every now and then his thoughts would go out to his friends; Hector and Eliwood, Kent and Sain, even Jaffar. And everyone in between. He hoped they were all doing well, but he felt a pang of regret in his chest every time one of them crossed his thoughts and a deep seated loneliness would darken his soul for a while. That same feeling had been steadily growing since the sun set.
His eyes started to feel heavy but he fought the urge to sleep. Too often now he was plagued by nightmares of his past and he had no real intention of letting them hurt him tonight. He sighed and looked up at the stars that had just started to show up in the sky. It used to fill him up with wonder how so many lights could just show up when the sun disappeared, it was one of the biggest reasons he became a tactician. He drew more than a couple of his strategies from nature, like the sun and the stars a big enough distraction could hide any number of smaller forces from view.
The sky was very much like this when he looked back at his friends' camp for the last time after defeating Nergal. He remembered his last thought when he finally turned away and rode off, words that he knew were true but hurt more than he ever thought they could.
She deserves far more than I could ever begin to be. . .
His eyes shot open and he lunged forward. He was gasping for air and a cold sweat had left his skin frigid and clammy.
Without thinking he reached for his sketchbook and went to work immediately. He was in a trance that he had no intention of breaking, it always started like a spark but quickly grew to the blaze of a bolganone.
Dawn had broken before he finished though he barely noticed, for all he knew he was sitting there for days without stopping, only when he stopped to look at what he had done did he finally say aloud what he had been hiding from himself for years. He broke down and hugged the sketchbook with all he was worth. Tears fell freely and he sobbed uncontrollably as his heart felt like it was tearing in two all over again.
"I miss you Lyn… I miss you so much."