It was about a day's walk to the capital after the hell that was...hell. Literally cracking through the surface and spilling out into the world. Robin shuddered at the memories. From the very Earth rupturing beneath Fredrick's horse to the fire balls that rained upon the forest. It was like something out of an apocalypse story. The gods raining their vengeance upon the world, punishing humans for one thing or another. And the cherry on top would have to be those strange, zombie like creatures walking around. Sure, they were no tougher than an average soldier, but there was just something uncanny about them. It bode ill for the future. Even Robin's book shed little light on the creatures.
But that was behind them for now. It was like night and day walking into the capital. Grand buildings stuck high into the sky, just as Robin had remembered it with the great castle, Ylisse set to look over the bustling capital city. Store fronts and friendly people greeted the Shepherds as they went along down the paved streets behind a few horse drawn carriages carrying some people across the grand city. Robin remembered being more enthralled the first time she'd seen these sights. Yet the castle brought about ill reminders of a grim future soon to come.
"Well, it appears that everything is normal. Good to see the madness of the Great Quake didn't disturb the capital." Fredrick spoke frankly as he leaped from his horse. Lissa let out a hefty sigh of relief, and it was then that Robin realized their two new friends had left at some point during the walk into the capital.
"Well that's a relief." Lissa said.
"Look! The Exalt has come to grace us with her presence!" A villager called out over the noisy ruckus of the capital. And instantly a crowd cleared a path in the street for a royal looking escort. At the front and center stood a tall, graceful woman whose very presence seemed to set a peaceful lull over the hearts of anyone who saw her. She took slow and deliberate steps and raised her hand to wave to her loving subjects. Robin noticed the shadow of a pegasus knight just above the capital. No doubt her most loyal of retainers, Phila. Robin immediately recognized her as one who aided Chrom during the Mad King's war, as well as during the war with Valm. Robin certainly got to know the dutiful captain well during her relatively short stint as queen alongside Chrom. And she smiled in spite of herself. Like seeing an old friend.
"So, that's the ruler of this place, huh?" Robin asked, sticking with the script she was given. "Maybe she knows what the heck that quake was all about."
"Alas, I would highly doubt that. My guess is that it has just been brought to her attention recently." Fredrick said.
"And we're sure it's alright for her to be walking around like that?" Robin asked. Fredrick chuckled quietly at her.
"Of course. She is the very symbol of peace in this country. Long ago, the Fell Dragon tried to destroy the world. But the first Exalt joined forces with the Divine Dragon and put a stop to him." Fredrick explained, looking rather proud of his knowledge. Robin simply stared at him for a moment before nodding her head slowly.
"Uh...thanks for the history lesson, but that doesn't really answer my question..." She said. Fredrick frowned at her and placed his hands behind his back.
"And she's guarded at all hours." He said with a note of contempt in his tone. Robin turned her attention forward again, watching Emmeryn make her way down the path and back to the castle.
"With Plegia poking at our borders, the people need her. She's a calming presence when others might call for war." Chrom added. Lissa nodded in agreement, walking after the exalt.
"And she's the greatest big sister anyone could ask for." She said. Chrom smiled and looked towards Robin, almost expectantly. Robin gave him a disinterested look before remembering she was supposed to be surprised.
"Oh, right. Wow! She's your sister? But that would make you the prince and princess." Robin said. It just wasn't as exciting when she's seen what it's like to be a royal. It was kind of boring, honestly.
"So you remember Chrom's name, but not the title that came with it?" Fredrick asked, giving her another one of those suspicious glares.
"Oh give it a rest Fredrick." Chrom said, crossing his arms towards his retainer.
"I hope you don't expect me to call you prince or princess." Robin said, looking towards the two of them, though she already knew the answer to that.
"Of course not. Shepherds have no title. We're all equal to one another, no matter our blood." Chrom said.
"Yeah. You know...except the title of captain." Robin said. Chrom remained silent at this however. "Guess this explains why Fredrick is so tolerant of you both. Considering he could probably crush you both. At the same time." Fredrick chuckled once more, now shimmering with pride.
"Now, now milady. There's no need for such flattery. But yes, the many sacrifices I make for my lieges and the good of the realm." He said. Everyone started moving down the street once things had died down from Emmeryn's passing through. Everyone but Chrom, whom just sulked along behind them.
…
A short walk to the palace later and Robin once again made her way into the elegant looking building. Hues of blues and highlights of whites were decorated all over the sparse entry hall. All sights that Robin had seen before, but if there was one thing that she could always appreciate, it was Ylisse's palace. Grand, golden chandeliers swung delicately from the ceiling while an orange glow brimmed softly from the brass of some elegantly crafted candelabras hung from the polished white stone walls.
Their boots and armor gave off muffled clinks and thumps as they made their way to the throne room, pounding onto an decadently crafted blue rug that led all the way through a large pair of doors. Two soldiers greet them from either side as they head into the brightly lit throne room where Emmeryn was seated beside her stalwart retainer, Phila whom cast a very Fredrick like gaze upon Robin the instant she walked in. Robin had almost forgotten the harsh mistrust she had gotten from the more dutiful of the soldiers.
And it was around now that she started to realize why exactly no one would really trust her. With her long, pale hair wild and hastily combed, still matted up with dirt and the foul blood of those demons. Her cloak was dirty and a bit ripped in places and her outfit beneath it was tugged and pulled in different parts. She probably looked like little more than some street rat Chrom picked up and dragged into the castle. Yet, her heart still filled with joy at seeing the retainer once again, knowing she would one day be able to know the woman as she had before.
Emmeryn seemed less concerned with Robin however, more overjoyed to see her younger siblings once again. "Chrom! Lissa! Welcome home. Oh, and a good day to you too Fredrick. How fared you all?"
"Well, we shouldn't be having any bandit problems for a while." Chrom spoke frankly while Emmeryn nodded silently.
"I see. That's great news. And our people?" She asked, leaning forward on the throne with an excited grin on her delicate face.
"They're as well as they'll ever be. But we still need to watch the borders, Emm. Brigands crossed over from Plegia." Chrom spoke with a quiet urgency. Emmeryn sits back in her throne, pressing her fingertips together while Phila lowered her head.
"Forgive me. My pegasus knights should have intercepted them." She admits quietly.
"Because pegasus knights certainly could have stopped a band of roving bandits. Most of them with axes." Robin says before clamming up immediately at the silent glares she got from speaking out of line.
"You doubt our strength?" Phila asked, stepping towards Robin. Though Phila was not a particularly tall woman as Robin was, she was imposing and intimidating all the same. Her dark eyes burned with a barely contained rage. An insult on the pegasus knights of Ylisse was like an insult on herself. "I'll have your answer, craven!"
"I-I'm just saying. You should probably vary your forces at least a little bit." Robin says, putting her hands up innocently. "I don't see the logic of your first line of defense being a bunch of winged horsewomen with lances against many beefy dudes with axes. It just seems like a recipe for defeat. You put yourselves at a disadvantage when you're not backed up by anything else. I don't doubt your strength, I just think you're too...specialized."
"And what would you know about a military?" Phila asked.
"Phila! Please stand down and return to me." Emmeryn said, her tone commanding and a bit harsh. Phila shoots Robin a look before returning to the exalt's side.
"Don't sweat it Phila. We had plenty of help dealing with them anyways." Lissa says, smiling at the captain.
"You speak of your new companion here?" Emmeryn asked. Chrom nodded and grasped Robin's shoulder.
"Yes. The loudmouthed one here is Robin. She fought valiantly to save the lives of Ylissian lives so I've decided to make her a Shepherd." He said, earning a spiteful pout from Robin.
"I see. Well it seems Ylisse owes you a great debt, Robin." Emmeryn said, giving Robin a kind smile. Even though she's seen it before, she couldn't help but blush in the presence of such praise from Emmeryn.
"Thank you, your majesty. But it was really nothing. Why, I'm sure Lissa could have taken out half of the brigands by herself." She said while Fredrick cleared his throat.
"And yet you fail to hit one standing directly in front of you." He says simply. She just frowns at him. She'd be labeled a terrorist for sure if she pulled her tome out in the throne room.
"Hey. How does that hammer dent feel?" She fires back, crossing her arms while he quickly sputters out some intelligible gibberish. "That's what I thought."
"Alright you two. That's enough bickering." Chrom said, holding his hands up between them.
"Hmph. Forgive me my lady, but Robin claims to have lost her memory, though she certainly remembers things when it's convenient for her. It's still much too early to rule out that she may be a Plegian spy." Fredrick said suddenly, receiving a shocked gasp from just about everyone in the room.
"Fredrick!" Chrom snapped while Robin narrowed her eyes.
"That's not cool, Fredrick." Robin added.
"Ball's in your court, possible spy." Fredrick said.
"Hm. And yet you let her into the castle. Does she have your trust, Chrom?" Emmeryn asked, looking towards the prince.
"Yes. She risked her life for our people. That's enough for me. No spy would have ever done anything like that." Chrom said while Robin just puts on her most innocent smile.
"Mmhm. Then Robin, you've earned Chrom's faith so I shall give you mine as well." Emmeryn said while Robin smirks at Fredrick.
"Ha!" She said, earning another frown from the others in the room. She quickly regains her composure and calms down. "I mean...thank you, milady." She said, bowing politely.
"Yes. But, thank you Fredrick. You're as prudent as ever. Chrom and Lissa are lucky to have you. I hope they've let you know that sometimes." Emmeryn continues. Fredrick nodded, waving his hand quietly.
"They've expressed something akin to gratitude from time to time." He said. "Perhaps if you heard it on the way through a door, you may mistake it as such."
"Wow, really Fredrick?" Chrom asked.
"Phila, I assume you've heard about the deathly creatures we encountered, yes?" He asked, ignoring Chrom. Phila simply nodded.
"Yes, they've been spotted all across Ylisse." She said. Robin frowned.
"Dang, they move fast. Any signs of more of that whole Earth tearing open and raining fire down on the lands where they come from?" She asked. Phila merely frowned at her.
"If there have been then it hasn't been reported." She said.
"Well then what the hell was all that in the first place?" Robin asked.
"Would if I could tell you, but alas, none of us are certain what caused that quake. But it hasn't happened elsewhere yet." She said.
"Chrom, we are to hold council." Emmeryne said once Phila had finished. "I was hoping you'd join us."
"Yes, of course." Chrom said. Lissa then looked to Robin, grabbing the sleeve of her cloak and tugging her away.
"I think that's our cue. Come on, I want to show you something." Lissa said before dragging Robin from the throne room.
...
A short walk from the palace leads Robin into a large stone fort just outside of the capital which Robin would grow to become quite familiar with over time. Inside was a woman with sandy blonde hair standing in the middle of a large gathering room with a box of various things in her arms. She seemed to be talking to a huge block of a man with glossy tanned skin and much brighter blonde hair. He was shirtless, naturally and seemed to have a cocky air of confidence around him at all times.
Lissa runs to the center of the room and throws her arms up in a triumphant display. "Ta-da! Here we are! The Shepherd's garrison. Go on, make yourself at home." Lissa said as Robin awkwardly makes her way into the room as everyone turns to watch her. It was just as she remembered it. Dark and a tad bit dirty. Yet something about the place felt a bit homely.
"Lissa, my treasure! Are you alright? I've been on pins and needles waiting for you to return." Robin sighed, watching another blonde woman making her way towards the group. She was dressed much more elegantly than the other warrior types in the garrison at the time. With long, thick hair styled with princess curls and a cool, noble demeanor about her. She walked very deliberately with her back straight and with purpose. Her purple eyes were wide with relief and excitement at seeing Lissa.
"Oh, hey, Maribelle." Lissa said rather nonchalantly. Maribelle stamped her foot and pointed a finger at Lissa.
"Oh hey yourself! I've sprouted 14 gray hairs fretting over you!" She snaps at Lissa.
"You...you actually counted?" Robin asked suddenly before instantly regretting opening her mouth again as Maribelle glared her way.
"And who is this rabble?" She asked with a condescending sneer.
"Hey squirt! Where's Chrom at? I bet he had trouble without teach and his trusty old axe." The brick of a man spoke, placing his hands on his hips confidently with a hearty laugh. Lissa didn't look impressed.
"Oh, so you're teach now, Vaike? I thought people were born without wits. But it can be taught?" Lissa asked as Robin chuckles.
"If anyone's a good teacher for that, it's Vaike." She said.
"Ha ha! Never doubt the Vaike!" He said, grinning broadly for a moment before it fell from his face. "Wait. Was that an insult?"
"Beg pardon, but when might we see the captain?" The woman from before asked, the box she was carrying set aside somewhere. Robin frowned immediately upon seeing her up close, feeling that inner jealous girl in her flare up a bit. She knew well of her little puppy dog crush on Chrom. But there wasn't much for Robin to be worried about. She got Chrom before, and she'll do it again.
"Poor Sumia. She's simply been beside herself all day." Maribelle broke in, patting her on the shoulder. "She's been scanning the horizon all day during training. She may have gotten less bruises if she were blindfolded."
"Aw, that's so sweet of you to care about Chrom." Lissa said. Sumia's cheeks flushed immediately as she frets and steps back while waving her hands frantically.
"W-Worry? I mean, he's our captain, and our prince. Of course I'd worry. Anybody would."
Yeah. No ulterior feelings at all, am I right? Robin thought as she watched Sumia with crossed arms.
"So who's the grim looking stranger?" Vaike asked, hooking a thumb to Robin.
"No one's stranger than you, Vaike." Lissa said.
"I wouldn't go that far." Robin interjected.
"Well, anyways. This is none other than Robin! Chrom made her the Shepherd's tactician. You should see all the tricks she can do!" Lissa gushed.
"Oh yeah? Well can she do this?" Vaike asked before sucking in a huge mouthful of air. He reared back, cocking his shoulders back and looking like he was ready to puke for a moment before opening his mouth and letting out a belch that Robin swore made the room shake. And now it was Maribelle's turn to look ready to puke. She went pale and clammy and everything.
"Mm. I haven't studied much in the art of belching. But I do have a good "Teach" now don't I?" Robin said as she got a firm slap on the shoulder from Vaike. Maribelle blanched with a distinct sound of disgust.
"Ugh, that was absolutely abhorrent, Vaike! Must you baseborn oafs pollute even the air? Leave that kind of behavior to the low borns rolling around in filth with nary more education than a common duck. And you, Robin! I'd hoped you were cut from a finer cloth than that! Don't encourage morons like him." And with that, she stormed out of the garrison, a tad of pink added to her pale cheeks.
"Don't take it to heart, Robin. Maribelle warms up to people slowly." Sumia said.
"Yeah. Or burns too quickly." Lissa adds, though Robin just shrugged it off. Maribelle meant well, at least.
More steps could soon be heard moving into the garrison. "Ah! Captain!" Sumia exclaimed, her entire face lighting up. She took two steps to run to Chrom before her feet tripped up and she face planted, hard. Everyone cringed, looking away from her as she got up and dusted herself off, looking like she was ready to curl up and die.
"Sumia! Are you alright...those boots of yours again?" Chrom asked, a sympathetic look on his face.
"No! I mean yes! I mean..." She sighed heavily and covered her face with her hands.
"Anyways, listen up everyone. Tomorrow momrning we'll be marching to Regna Ferox." He said with a nod. "We'll be needing their strength if we want to quell this new menace. Normally the exalt would request this in person, but considering recent circumstances, the job's been passed onto us. This job is strictly voluntary however, so if anyone-"
"I volunteer!" Lissa pipes up immediately.
"Me too. You'll be needing Teach for such a delicate mission." Vaike steps up as well. Someone else said something, but no one was certain what it was or who said it.
Sumia stood back however, a sheepish look on her face. "I...I uh..."
"Yes Sumia?" Chrom asked.
"It's just, I don't know if I'm ready for an actual mission yet. I'll probably just get in the way." She admitted. Chrom nodded and walked over to her. He grasped her shoulder firmly and she tried to shrink away from him, not quite meeting his eye.
"You can stay towards the rear. If we meet in battle, you can just stay back and watch. There are some lessons that can only be learned on the battlefield." He said. She blushed and cast her eyes away from him.
"W-Well...if you think that's wise captain." She said. "I'll follow your orders absolutely."
"I do." Chrom nodded, offering her one of his winning smiles. "Just stay close to me and you'll be fine." Sumia's face lit up again and she smiled up at Chrom while Robin just rolled her eyes in the corner.
"Oh yes! I mean...yes captain." She said, a blush painted over her cheeks. Robin scoffs to herself. Enjoy it while you can, pegasus girl.
…
Robin couldn't sleep. Her mind was buzzing with what they would find tomorrow. Robin remembered the march to Ferox, but not with those...those things running around the area. It was a relatively boring march last time, but this time things might get a bit more difficult.
She had stayed up all night studying the tome old Hubba gave to her. She thumbed through the thick pages again and again, hardly able to believe her eyes. The tome did exactly as it was supposed to. It showed all the vitals of the current army. The current roster, those whom were coming, stats that she still wasn't sure about, as well as some detailed maps of skirmish sites. However, after getting to Ferox, the book ends into blank pages. In the end, it didn't help her much more than her previous experiences did. And the fat lot of good they've been doing lately. Everything is just so different. It may as well be another world. It might just be another world.
She frowned and rubbed her chin while her finger tapped onto the nearly empty book. She would have to find a way to the outrealm gate as soon as possible. She needed to speak to Hubba. The man was always a peculiar one, but she could never quite put her finger down on him. There was something wise and sagelike about him at times. But most of the time, he was just some goofy, incompetent man. She couldn't even be sure that she truly saw him. Nor could she be sure this wasn't all just some elaborate, grief stricken dream. She sighed and slipped the tome under her cloak when she heard someone knock at her door.
"Come in." She called out, switching her attention to her fading thunder tome to look like she was doing something.
"Hey, are you ready to go?" Chrom's voice called into the room once the door was open. Robin lifted her head up higher and turned to face him.
"Ready to go? It's time already?" She asked.
"Mm. If we want to get to Ferox at a decent hour, we must leave now. And we'll hopefully get the drop on any of those foul beasts." He explained before he walked into the room. "You okay? You look like you have something heavy weighing on you." He said. Robin widened her eyes and stood up from her chair. She held one hand to her breast, keeping the tome secure to her body.
"Ah, It's nothing major. Just doing a little thinking." Robin said as she ran a hand through her hair. Chrom nodded, though he didn't quite look convinced.
"Have you slept at all?" He asked, concern touching his voice.
"Ah...no. I suppose I haven't. But don't worry. I've spent many a sleepless nights. Uh, I'm pretty sure." She said as she walked past him. She gasped when she felt his firm grip touch her shoulder.
"No matter what Fredrick says, you're a Shepherd Robin. I trust you completely." He said. Robin stopped where she was, feeling like a knife just stabbed her heart straight through the book.
"You're so naive..." She said in a near whisper. Chrom grabbed her shoulder tighter and walked around to be beside her.
"Maybe so. I let my heart choose my actions more often than my brain. But it's never been wrong once." He said. He reached around her and pressed his fingers against her cheek. He prodded her head and gently pulled it meet his eyes. His big, innocent, blue eyes. And he flashed her that big, lovely smile of his. "And I don't believe it to be wrong this time either."
She smiled in spite of herself. She stared into his eyes and smiled the most genuine smile she's had since she woke up. And before she knew it, her face was rested up against his chest while her arms snaked around his back and pulled him into a hug. She couldn't see the pink that highlighted Chrom's cheeks as he returned the hug in silence. Memories of her previous life as Chrom's wife came flooding back to her near instantly. She couldn't say one way or another if she was happy to remember them or saddened that they were no more. All she knew is the hug broke much sooner than she ever wanted it to.
"Ahem. We should...we shouldn't keep the others waiting." Chrom said when he pulled away from her. Robin merely nodded and followed behind her captain with a slight spring in her step.
…
"Northroad is just ahead." Fredrick reported to the other Shepherds. Everyone was moving at a steady pace towards the northern border, though Robin moved a few paces behind the others, her lack of sleep catching up to her in the midday sun. To keep her head off of sleep, she decided to run another head count to make sure everyone was along as they were supposed to be. Of course everyone from before was marching along with a new member whom added himself at the very last minute thanks to Vaike. Of course, he never forgets. He just doesn't always remember.
Stahl was Stahl. He was unremarkable when Robin saw him last time and he's unremarkable now. He's a nice guy, but he's horribly boring. But he was reliable and sturdy. Like an iron sword of sorts.
Robin was quickly torn out of her thoughts however as Chrom let loose a frustrated grunt. "Gods, have the risen spread this far?"
"Risen?" Robin asked. Sure enough, Northroad was alive with a small platoon of Risen soldiers. Mixed classes consisting mostly of soldiers and fighters.
"We needed a name for this new threat, so the council gave them one." Fredrick informed her.
"Everyone, remember what we're up against!" Chrom spoke in a commanding tone.
"Yes. Remember that they're not any harder to defeat than an average person. So...effectively this is just another skirmish." Robin said.
"Ha ha! They'll have to remember ME once I drive my axe into their- huh? Wait, where's my axe?" Vaike said, looking for his axe that was indeed missing.
"Oh for the love of Naga, you cannot be serious right now!" Robin said, tugging at her hair while Chrom shot Vaike a glare.
"Vaike, this isn't the time for jokes!" Chrom exclaimed.
"It's not a joke! I JUST had it. It has to be around here somewhere!" Vaike said, sounding as close to distressed as Robin had ever heard him.
"Then stick to the rear. The battle is nigh!" Chrom said as he drew Falchion from its sheath. "Shepherds, move out!"
Robin sighed and pulled her tome out. She watched the map carefully once she was certain no one was looking too close at her. Once she was satisfied, she looked out towards the battlefield again. "Alright. Chrom, you should go attack that fighter on the hill that way. Sully, you and Stahl will double team that mercenary over there. Fredrick, lure that soldier out and Lissa...um...you...try not to get hit."
"Right." Lissa said as she grasped her heal staff. With a clap of her hands, everyone dispersed to enact Robin's plan which worked out quite well, she had to admit. Together, Sully and Stahl nearly took down the mercenary risen while Fredrick acted as bait with his bronze sword for the soldier that did little more than scratch his armor. Chrom meanwhile takes a heavy counter hit from the fighter against good odds, so the fight was shaping up as usual for them. Robin took a step towards Chrom to back him up when a flowery voice stopped her.
"Wait, milady! You have not given orders to me, the archest of archers yet." Virion said.
"I...thought your orders would have been obvious. But since I guess it's not, what want you to do is stick to the rear and shoot people with arrows." Robin said, her arms crossed.
"Aha, but of course. Tis the only way to use an archer. But, perhaps you would like to give me more direction than that." He said. Robin just pinched the bridge of her nose and let loose a quiet sigh. She then pointed to Sully and Stahl.
"Him. Shoot him. Shoot the damn risen that's in bleeding pain right now."
"Yes my lady! Watch me closely now." Virion said. He walked over to the two cavaliers and notched an arrow. Robin raised her eyebrow as Virion pulled back on his bowstring and let the arrow fly. And hits nothing as the Risen nimbly jumps out of the way.
"Gods, what am I even paying you for?"She asked incredulously.
"Eh...my apologies. I'll do better next time. But you do not pay me." Virion protested to Robin.
"Well maybe there's a reason for that. Enjoy that sword in your face." Robin said. Virion didn't understand at first, but her words quickly became clear as the mercenary risen closed the distance between them and gave Virion a good whack with its sword. Virion being early Virion of course needed to be healed immediately.
With that bit of lunacy done with, she finally joins behind Chrom to finish off the wounded fighter he was fighting. The lightning ball exploded into the creature and sent it spinning in an overly dramatic fashion before it hit the ground with a thud. Robin smirked, feeling like her aim was getting a bit better.
But before Robin could celebrate too much, she felt the searing pain of a blade slice into her side. She let out a pained yelp and jerked away from the mercenary that managed to sneak up on her. She narrowed her eyes and flung her spell at it. And it almost danced as it hopped away from the lightning ball.
"Perhaps you should-"
"Shut up Fredrick. Just. Shut. Up." Robin was in no mood for his quips. Thankfully Chrom was still nearby and ambushed the mercenary from the side. His blade struck true and hit the risen in the head. It jerked back with what Robin could only imagine was pain.
Robin looked back towards Sully and Stahl. The fighter risen had arrived to them and went straight for Sully, unsurprisingly. It launched itself at her but then the strangest thing happened. Time seemed to stop for them. Literally. The Risen stuck in mid swing, about to hit Sully when Stahl very slowly trotted his horse to Sully's side. A good two seconds went by before Stahl made it to her and pushed Sully and her horse out of the way. He then put up his sword and the risen's swing finally continues, only to clash uselessly with a sword. Robin was flabbergasted.
"What the hell was that?" She asked.
"What was what?" Chrom asked, a curious frown on his face.
"Sully and Stahl, didn't you see?"
"Ah, yeah. Stahl covered her. He's a good man, isn't he?" Chrom said with a nod. But Robin shook her head.
"No...no I mean. Time. Didn't you see time stop and the risen? I..."
"Robin, are you sure you're okay?" Chrom asked. Robin could only stare at him, not believing for a second he didn't see that. He had to be screwing with her. This was not a trick from a lack of sleep.
"Yeah, yeah...I'm fine." She said. She shook her head and rubbed her temples. Her mind quickly snapped back into reality as an enemy soldier engaged Chrom. Robin gasped as the risen leaped into the air with its lance pointed straight to Chrom's chest. And then it didn't move. It just...hung there motionless. Chrom also stared vacantly into space, his cape billowing in the wind but his body completely still otherwise.
"Chrom?" Robin asked. She got no response. She looked about the battlefield. Nothing changed at all. Sully and Stahl were fighting as normal. This area just...stopped. "Uh...okay..." Robin said, confused and a bit scared. She walked over to Chrom and gently moved him out of the way of the attack. She then held up the only weapon she had, her thunder tome. And all at once, life came roaring back to normal as the Risen finishes its attack. The lance head stabs at the book and amazingly doesn't go straight through. Or even scratch it.
"Thanks Robin! You're a life saver!" Chrom thanked her before getting into a fierce stare with the Risen and drawing his blade back. "I will not fail!" He bellowed out before jumping into the air himself. Unfortunately for the risen, there was nothing to get in the way for him and it was bisected down the middle.
"You didn't...you didn't notice any of that?" Robin asked. Chrom just shook his head however.
"Not sure what you're talking about Robin. You leaped in the way to protect me. That's all I know. And I thank you for it." Chrom said, patting her back. Robin looked at him like he was crazy. All that hesitation and the time freezing. He wasn't aware of any of it.
"Alright...guess that's just a thing that can happen then..." Robin said to herself.
As the battle drew on, a new figure emerged from the south. A mage with short red hair and a pair of glasses. Robin recognized her immediately as the Shepherd's resident smart chick, Miriel. Robin didn't honestly know a whole lot about her, but she digged the hat.
"Splendid! It seems I've caught up. Now to extirpate these brutes... Hmm? Is that an axe? Why yes it is... Perhaps someone mislaid it? I'd not thought such dereliction permissible among the Shepherds. Still, I'd be remiss to not return this implement to its owner. Perhaps along with a stern word or two of disapprobation!" She also used lots of big words all the time.
"Hey! My axe!" Vaike shouted as he ran towards Miriel.
"I had wondered what manner of ignoramus would mislay their weapon. Now I know." Miriel said with her usual tone of cold disdain in her voice.
"Thanks, Miriel! Er...for the axe anyways." Vaike said, taking the steel axe from the scrawny woman.
"Perhaps next time I'll use a spell to fasten it to your hand. Permanently." Mirel spoke, giving Vaike a serious glare.
"Hey! That's what Robin keeps threatening to do to Fredrick." Lissa piped in. Miriel tipped her glasses down over the bridge of her nose at the energetic healer.
"Robin knows such a spell? Fascinating. I did not take her for quite a stout practitioner of the arcane arts. I will have to speak with her at length of her knowledge." Miriel said, looking towards Robin as she attempted to blast the risen with her magic once again and missed once again. She then let out a growl that could be heard across the battlefield and settled with kicking the risen in the face.
"On second thought, perhaps she's not as attuned as I had initially speculated."
Chrom was quick to finish off the mercenary as it reeled from the now broken nose it had from Robin's attack while Vaike ran in to take care of the fighter with a mighty blow from his axe.
With the first wave finished, the small militia gathers together to prepare to cross the river to the last of the Risen. Lissa heals up any scratches accumulated during the first part of battle.
"Alright Robin, guide our swords." Chrom said while Vaike stepped forward.
"And my axe." He said before being pulled back into the group.
"A word of caution, milord. We've been working Robin quite hard lately. Why, she's so tired she can't even-"
"Fredrick? If this is another joke about my hit percentage, I am going to be furious." She said in a calm voice that belies the burning hatred she had brewing in her gut at the moment. "Go ahead. See what happens."
Fredrick cleared his throat and looked back towards the Risen. He appeared just a little shaken at that remark, but held himself well. "As I was saying, we've been working Robin quite hard. Perhaps it wouldn't be a bad idea for some of us to make our own decisions from time to time."
"Hm. Perhaps you're right, Fredrick. Robin, should you ever need to rest, you need only to tell us and we shall make our own decisions for the battle." Chrom said. Robin frowned a bit and nodded.
"Alright. I trust your judgement. Well...most of you, anyways." She said. "But, I see no reason to change tactics right now." She pointed down the river towards a larger, more imposing Risen standing at the far end of the river bank. "That must be the chief. If we can take him out then picking off the underlings should be easy enough. So here's the plan. Vaike, you go in there and draw out the two Risen closest to the bridge. Then we'll hit them fast and hard.
"After that, I'll need you to lure that chief out, Fredrick. Me and Miriel will stick to the back while the rest of you push forward and take out everything you see." Robin said, clapping her hands. "We good?"
"A sound plan, through and through." Fredrick said. Vaike chuckled and flexed his arms to Robin.
"You just leave everything to teach. He won't let you down." He said.
"Again, you mean." She snapped at him.
"Heh heh. That was a mistake. The Vaike never forgets. He just doesn't-"
"Think. Now go sponge up those hits, oaf." Robin ordered before shoving him onto the bridge.
"Now you just sound like Maribelle." Vaike grumbled. So Vaike went up the bridge and took on two Risen at once. He took a couple hits, but nothing too major and he dealt back as good as he took. Robin and Miriel both launch a magic assault onto the unsuspecting Risen, frying them rather easily while Chrom and Sully took what remained of them.
Fredrick was next, laughing as several risen charged him to plink against his defenses while he delivered bronze justice on them all, harming them but not killing them exactly. The chief even charged down from his spot and attempted throw his hand axe at Fredrick. He missed of course. Fredrick then attacked him and brought the chief down to killable levels which Chrom happily took. Virion even tried to help and barely managed to kill one of the risen. The final push onto the river banks was brutal towards the risen as they all fell easily to their blades and magic.
And before they knew it, the battlefield was quiet once again with nothing but the ash of risen corpses to show for it. "Good work everyone. But if the risen have spread all the way to Northroad..." Chrom pondered.
"Then no road is safe from them." Fredrick finished for him. Robin sighed in response. Their dealings with risen has probably only just begun.