It wasn't until the dead of night before Chrom finally found his tactician out and about.

By now, the searing heat of the noon had been wasted on the grassy plains and had fallen to the moon's milky rays and chill. The blues that cloaked the camp made the canvas town tower above a man's head and close in around him. Most of the Shepherds had the sense to turn in for the night and rest up for another day of protecting their flock from the monsters that plagued them. However, most does not mean all, which is how the prince of Ylisse managed to finally locate his tactician.

His metal boots stopped as he found the grassy patch he had occupied earlier in the day now bathed in an orange glow. A single campfire on the edge of camp was usually found much sooner than this, making him feel as if he had slipped in observation just a tiny bit. However, he shook it off eventually. A small smile slipped on his face as he watched the flames dance in their standard sway, illuminating this one spec of the world with a gentle light. It was actually soothing, the way it always bobbed back and remained strong.

It could be soothing, or heartbreaking.

Eventually, the prince of Ylisse pulled his eyes off of the fire and wandered over the small field. Robin simply sat in place with her sword on her lap, a dirty rag in her hand and the light of the fire dancing in her eyes. A small wooden bucket sat directly beside her, waiting to be used to put out those comforting flames. The blue-haired man sat down with a heavy exhale as the young woman simply focused on her blade, ignoring him.

Not really surprising, what with Frederick's terrible jest earlier.

"So," Chrom shifted in place with narrowed eyes, staring straight through the fire and right at the brunette. "Not sleeping tonight, I take it?" The tactician simply let out a huff and lifted her cloth with a careful hand. Surprisingly, she dipped the fabric in the bucket beside her and then applied the water to her blade, cleaning it with a slow rhythm. The man just laughed and shook his head. Figures that she wouldn't respond.

"Is your blade still dirty?" Robin slowly lifted her eyes with an emotionless mask, her normally vibrant eyes shrouded from his sight. "With all of the polishing you do, I would have thought you cleaned straight through any metal it may have had." A bit of self-satisfaction swooped in when he realized that she had actually lifted her head and shot him one of those crooked smiles before going back to her sword. Perhaps she was paying attention after all.

"Just because I enjoy killing those disgusting Risen, doesn't mean that I want them to leave mementos on my blade." Her voice seemed to be a bit stronger then it had been when she had left, so that was another good sign. "A hero must keep their weapon in peak condition, lest they want to seem sloppy." A sly grin formed on her face before it slipped away. "I may be ruthless on the field, but I am certainly not neglectful of my sword."

"Good," The leader of the Shepherds nodded as he watched her hand reach the very tip of her blade. "I wouldn't want you setting a terrible example for the rest of the group. If they start to go bloodthirsty, I at least want a clean camp." The brunette let out a laugh before shaking her head. Judging by her current demeanor, the incident with Frederick had lost its impact. Eventually, he would have to have a word with his lieutenant to find out what exactly was the bright idea behind such out-of-character behavior. For now, he would happily sit here and relax.

"I am not bloodthirsty," The usual tone rang true above the click and snap of the flames, haughty and proud. "I am simply doing all of Ylisse a favor by ridding them of this terrible menace and protecting their buffoon of a prince." She closed her eyes just as Chrom shot her another half-hearted glare. "It's not my fault he's always getting himself into trouble."

"Hey," He faked a stern frown as the woman examined the shimmer of her blade. "I am perfectly capable of taking care of myself." He dramatically placed a hand on his chest and shot a grin her way. "After all, I am the leader of the Shepherds, in case you happened to forgot somewhere along the line." His tactician simply laughed it off and dropped the stained cloth in the bucket beside her.

"And that explains how I've saved your butt five times in the span of a month." His smile faded with her words, forcing him to display a glare. "You're so reckless, Chrom."

"I believe you're thinking of yourself, Robin." The prince sat up a bit taller with a dignified motion. "After all, I've never seen a woman charge into danger like you do." The brunette just chuckled and shook her head, her hand resting on her blade and watching the droplets of water race down the Bronze Sword and stain her robe's lap. "Certainly Sully has been known to get in over her head, but you just seem to take that to a new extreme." A bit of a laugh escaped him at the thought. "It's almost like you're a Feroxi."

The young woman stared at him for a few moments before laughing and shaking her head, her hair whipping her cheeks as she did so. By the time she regained her composer, her cheeks were a vibrant red. "You know very well that I'm a Ylissean." Her face clouded with a sort of darkness for a second before she shook it off and grinned. "I mean, that's what it feels like. I'm just braver than the standard fare."

Chrom nodded absently as he watched the fire light up her blade. Bravery? Pah! Sometimes, he wondered if she ever thought of herself during those battles. Certainly, she was a crafty and vicious tactician for the rest of the Shepherds, directing them to attack any opening that appeared so long as they were in pairs. However, when she was alone, she never seemed to heed her own advice. She would be there next to you one heartbeat, and then she was suddenly pulling away and stabbing the chest of a Risen. It was a wonder that she was still alive. At this point, the prince was still debating if that was bravery or, as Frederick called it, foolishness. At the end of the day, everyone came home safe and sound, and the villagers were safe from danger.

But gods, did she know how to scare a man breathless!

Suddenly, a low rumble emerged from the darkness. The blue-haired man jumped to his feet just seconds before his tactician, his eyes narrowed at the northwest. Just what was that? His hand instinctively reached for the sheath at his hip, searching for the familiar and reassuring chill of metal in his hand. Was the camp under attack? His eyes searched the horizon, but he ultimately found nothing. Curse this darkness! Without having a clear idea of what he was facing, his heart started to pound in his chest. Should he wake the others? This could be serious.

"..Risen." Blue eyes raced back to find the brunette on her feet with a tight scowl. "I bet you anything that they're out there right now." The prince frowned at this before looking towards the inky forms of tents to his right.

"Should we wake the others?" His tactician looked over to the tents with a tight frown, her eyes reflecting the few bits of fire that danced above the circle, floating in air. "We might need the backup. Besides," He motioned to the direction the noise came from and shook his head. "We might need someone to stand guard over the camp. They might try to attack while the others are asleep."

"Frederick is already awake." Robin pointed to the mass of tents before looking back to the slightly taller sword-wielder. "He wouldn't dare go to sleep while the others are. He's the type of man who would hear a mouse sneak into our grain stores." A smirk flashed on her face for a fraction of a heartbeat. "Either a mouse, or a viper." A rock seemed to form in Chrom's gut at the mention of the second option, but he tried to swallow and ignore it. "In any case," Deep brown orbs raced to his face as the woman frowned. "He will guard the camp with his very life."

"Still," The prince narrowed his eyes at her while his grip on his blade tightened. "It seems reckless to charge off into battle at such a late hour. Not only is it dark, but we're only two people." His eyes softened slightly when he realized that the brunette already holding her sword at her side, ready to dash away. "We're not invincible, you know. We could at least take Sumia or Sully with us, just for the backup." The blue-haired man felt a bit surprised to find her scrunching up her nose at the mention of the others. Her eyes were basically slits as she shook her head vigorously.

"No, I can handle this!" She paused after realizing how her voice came out, harsh and angry. "I-I mean," She looked away for a minute before turning back with a cocky grin, all traces of that moment of anger gone. "We can handle this Chrom! If we head out now, we can assess the situation. If things get a bit rough, we can head back and wake the others." She brushed off the front of her heavy robe before flashing a grin. "However, I already know that we can take any Risen that dare to rear their disgusting, rotting faces this way!"

A moment of silence passed as the man stared down at his tactician. Normally, he wouldn't dare doubt her judgement. However, she was suggesting that only two people head out to face what could very well be a whole army of Risen. His grip faltered for a moment before coming back even stronger than before. The determination in her eyes was almost overwhelming, and the smile on her face certainly wasn't helping matters. He could feel something in his chest squirm in discomfort, something that made him feel a bit warmer. Eventually, he gave up. He had a sneaking suspicion that this was reckless, dangerous and worst of all, stupid. However, he knew somewhere in his mind that if he refused to aid the attack, she would leave him behind for a solo attack.

Gods knew that he would never leave her to her own devices like that.

A reluctant sigh slipped through his lips, lighting up the brunette's face. "All right, we'll go." He watched with a half-hearted smile as the woman slammed a fist into the air and lifted her sword once again. His eyes narrowed with a bit of worry as she headed behind the bucket. "However, I want you to know that this is one of the most reckless plans you've ever come up with." With a simple kick of her boot, the wooden pail toppled over and extinguished the lowly source of light. The smoke billowed out into the stars as a few glimmers of orange floated out of existence. An irritation in his throat forced him into a bout of coughing, leaving his eyes to adjust to the darkness.

"You worry too much, Chrom." Robin walked right to his side with light steps before a sudden burst of light dazed his eyes. The tactician grinned as a single flame lifted in her hand, summoned by one of her tomes. "I'm certain that with my heroics and your strength, we can rid this field of any blots of Risen, outnumbered or otherwise!" Her words, despite the arrogance that dripped from every syllable, held some sort of reassurance, and left the lord to stand tall in the blue veil.

"Right," Chrom nodded at the low source of light before turning to the woman's face. "Lead the way. I'll follow your flame." The tactician nodded in return and raced off with a vibrant grin, leaving the prince of Ylisse behind in the swirling remains of the smoke and the dry dust of the field. Her orange and crimson light bobbed in her hand, providing a streak of light. Feeling a swirl of doubt for a fraction of a second, he lifted his chin a bit higher. Oh, he might as well be a fool. Reluctantly, he took a few steps towards the fleeing light before racing after it with his swords at the ready.

Please, let there only be a few cows out there.


Author's Note: And we're back!

It seems that arrogance isn't the only thing Robin's known for! In this case, it also seems that she possesses a (un)healthy amount of drive to rid Ylisse of her enemies. Whether this is considered bloodlust or not, no one knows. All we know is that she seems to smile the brightest when she has a chance to wield her sword and cut down a few Risen.

What will they face out there? Will they truly find the darkness that is the Risen, or will this all turn out to be a bust? Find out next time!