Author's Foreword:

I know the last two chapters haven't had that much Cherche, but I wanted to smooth into the character development bit. Not so much like, "Oh sweet, I just met you, and I want to marry you." This would be the first chapter where said character development will begin. Enjoy and as always, constructive criticism and happy reviews are always welcome.

Also, if you're wondering why I'm referring to Minerva as "it," that's because Robin hasn't had a talk with Minerva about her gender yet. So that will come eventually.

I am especially thankful for all the kind reviews I'm getting! I did take what you guys said into account tried to avoid the run-on sentences. I'm not lying when I say I'm actually excited to be writing these stories. However, finals are coming up, and I have a few essays due this Thursday. The next chapter might come on Friday so to make up for that, I wrote a pretty damn long chapter for you guys. It kind of delves more into the themes I want to introduce into the story, so keep this chapter in mind! Also, I think my writing for battle scenes has gotten a little worse ever since that two year hiatus I took with Fate/Stay Night, so please bear with me. I have the full intention of finishing this story since I literally have nothing to do at work over the summer.

I am also well aware that this might be the only Cherche/Robin fiction that I know of so far. If you guys know of any others, I'm more than happy to read those too!

In any case, hope you guys stay safe and have a nice day!

Chapter 3: The Axe and the Sword

THWACK

"Ow! Why do you always have to be like that, Frederick?!" Lissa cried out in pain as the iron-clad knight landed a solid blow on her arm.

"My apologies, my princess. However, I believe you requested that I practiced with you? This is training that any other Shepherd has gone through." Poor Frederick, always so deadpan and serious. Robin observed the training from a distance, reposed on a haystack and taking a break from his own training. To his side was Chrom, who was likewise taking a break as well. The two companions had decided to shield themselves from the sun after sparring multiple times. The days were getting hotter as they approached closer to the coast. While this was certainly an upgrade over Feroxi winters, the heat was not a welcome ally to those who had to wear heavy clothing or armor.

"You won about three of those duels. I would wager you could've won more had you been actually using the Falchion instead of these pitiful wood sticks." Robin indicated the battered wooden swords they were both holding.

Chrom chucked, "Robin, had I been using the Falchion and you a wooden stick, this duel would've been over long ago."

"You forget I have a pretty little book filled with pretty little incantations. I can fire lightning and flames out of my hands. You can't. I'd say we're pretty even on that." Robin grinned in mock triumph.

"I should've guessed the tactician wouldn't forget about his book. After all, you always seem to be reading those damn things all the time." Chrom let out a yawn before looking over at the myriad of other Shepherds training. Over the sound of clashing wood and dummies being hit, he called over to Robin, "Say, isn't that Cherche over there?" Robin's face indicated that he was unamused. He knew what was coming next. "I thought you were going to gauge her skills."

Robin groaned. He was hoping Chrom would've forgotten that. He was equally capable of gauging someone's skill in battle, though this was a far safer and effective method than what Robin proposed. He knew full well that the damn prince had remembered this for his own amusement. Regardless, Chrom's argument had its merits, and Robin stood up to walk over to Cherche. He didn't even want to look at Chrom at this point. His guess was that the man was grinning from ear to ear at this prospect from ruining what should've been a calm rest before the battle.

As Robin walked over to Cherche, Chrom shouted to Robin. "Don't worry about the other guys! I'll have Frederick keep them busy!" Robin raised his hand in grudging thanks.

Cherche was busy hacking away at a wooden dummy with a wooden axe to notice Robin approaching. To her side, a great, black beast was slumbering under the afternoon sun. Robin stood back a while to observe her methods. Her strokes were clean and strong, a clear indication of one who has seen the battlefield more than once. Had she been holding an iron axe, each strike would've been a guaranteed kill. There was no hesitation and no thought to her practice at all; it was simply routine. Her axe blows, while softened by the wood, were definitely leaving indents on the straw dummies. However, skilled as she was, Cherche wasn't exactly making any significant progress on the dummy with a mere wooden axe. Robin decided at this point to intervene.

"Cherche? It's me, Robin. Do you remember what I asked you last night?"

The pink-haired wyvern rider turned her head towards Robin. "Oh hello, Robin. I didn't see you there." She lowered her wooden axe. "I'm assuming you're here to train with me?"

Robin nodded his head. He reached into the box and grabbed a wooden sword. Though he generally preferred to practice with the Tyrfing, these glorified wooden sticks were the only way of practicing without hacking each other to death. Cherche didn't seem to mind that she was using a wooden weapon instead of a real one.

Robin assumed his posture while Cherche lowered her axe to her side. Robin was a tactician, but he was a decent enough swordsman to match up against Chrom and most of the Shepherds. After all, the basics of swordplay involved a great deal of anticipation of the opponent's movements. The only person he was unable to even scratch was Lon'qu, though he was an exception to many people.

The tactician set his right leg forward and gripped the handle of the weapon with both hands. Robin focused in on his target, though he would make sure he wouldn't hit her too hard. After all, she was just a new recruit. Additionally, he had the advantage, as the sword was a far swifter weapon than her axe. She truly had no chance at this point unless she intended to dodge. Having calculated his move-set, he prepared to lunge at the wyvern rider. Cherche raised her axe from her side and set her feet down. At this moment, Robin sprinted towards her, sword over his head. He closed in and slashed downwards to land a strike right on her –

Whoosh

"Wait, where is she?" Robin looked around for a few moments before he saw a dash of pink out of the corner of his eye. He raised his blade and blocked the incoming axe blow. A dull smash rang out as the axe and the sword clashed against one another. She had not only dodged the blow but also gotten behind Robin in the process.

"Well, she's quick."

Robin adjusted his footing again, preparing for another strike from Cherche. As he raised his blade, he could see Cherche attempting to try the maneuver again. The Rosannean knight shifted to Robin's left, leaning her body to refocus her center of gravity.

"Heh, the same thing won't work on me twice!"

Robin turned and brought his sword around before a large black tail impeded his view and-

"Wait, that's not supposed to be ther-"

THWACK

Robin went flying backwards as the force of Minerva's tail acted like a catapult. He went flying into the weapons tent, creating a variety of crashing noises from within. Robin could feel his head spinning as the solitary figure of Cherche began to walk towards him. She reached out her hand to Robin, though the tactician waved it off.

"I thought this was a duel?" Robin grimaced, dusting off the dirt from his robes.

Cherche seemed mildly amused by Robin's annoyance. "As a tactician, aren't you supposed to account for all possible moves an enemy might make? Minerva will always be by my side, and I would've thought this an accurate representation."

Cherche laid down her axe and sat next to Robin. "No sane wyvern rider would get off their mount against an opponent they clearly have an advantage over. This is basic strategy after all."

The tactician to her right could only grin slightly. She was correct. Robin had been beaten at his own game, too absorbed in a singular enemy and disregarding his surroundings. He made a mental note to pay more attention. Still, he could not ignore the challenge issued by Cherche.

"You speak as if you've led armies before. If I'm correct, you were Virion's bodyguard?"

Cherche shook her head, her crimson eyes still focused on Minerva. "You are partially correct. I am Virion's retainer, though most of the time I spent with him was usually glorified baby-sitting." Her eyes narrowed as if remembering some unsavory memories of her lord back in Rosanne. Robin smiled, knowing all too well about Virion's flirtatious tendencies.

"As for leading armies, I've only commanded smaller forces once or twice. Never an army large enough to cause a commotion."

Robin's interest was now piqued. Perhaps there was more to her than met the eye? "And when was this?"

Cherche had begun to draw figures in the dirt with her fingers. As she did this, Robin noticed her eyes still were focused on Minerva. "Shortly before we had left Valm. Lord Virion had fled before most of us with his valuables, and I was left behind to command what was left of Rosanne. Naturally, my main priority was to ensure the people were able to escape. My only job was to hold off the Valmese long enough to cause a distraction."

Robin was impressed. She was able to deter an enemy far larger and better trained than the forces she commanded. That would explain her focus when battling. After all, it was no easy task to fight in battle, let alone ride a fire-breathing creature while doing so.

"Needless to say, I failed even at this simple task." Cherche's eyes lowered in disappointment. Her finger stopped tracing in the dirt, revealing that she had been drawing the outline of a wyvern.

Robin was surprised by this reaction. By his own standards, any action that minimized the amount of casualties was a success in his own books. However, Cherche seemed to be bothered by a situation that was, in all cases, impossible.

"You fulfilled your objective and got the people out. Why would you say you failed?"

"I never said I got everyone out. I left many people behind, and a great deal of good people died in the process. Among those left behind were my family. I can only hope Walhart hasn't punished the people for resisting. The man has a reputation for brutality."

Silence fell over their conversation. For a while, Robin sat there and tried to think of something to say.

"I don't think you should be too hard on yourself. You did what any other person would have done, and you are a better person for it." He turned his head to Cherche, smiling. "Sacrifices have to be made to reach the greater good. That is why you came to us after all, right? We'll stop the Valmese and get your home back."

Cherche turned her head to the tactician. The pair stared at each other for a few seconds. For the first time since he had seen her, she smiled as well at Robin.

"Thank you, Robin. Your words give me confidence." She turned her head back towards Minerva. "Perhaps I was wrong. You aren't as much as an absent-minded fool as I thought you were."

Robin's smile slid from his face. "I don't know whether to be happy or offended by that…"

Cherche laughed softly, apologetically looking at Robin. "You need not worry about it. You'll have more time to change my perceptions on the battlefield."

Robin was about to speak as a loud voice rang out from across the training ground.

"HEY! ROBIN, CHROM WANTS TO TALK TO YOU!" Robin recognized the small, yellow figure of Lissa yelling across from the field. He began to stand up, before tripping over a rock on the ground. Cherche, who was already standing, offered out her hand again. Robin looked up and grabbed her hand, not making eye contact with Cherche.

"Thanks. I'll try not to do that when we're fighting"

"I hope so." Cherche began to stride towards Minerva, turning one last time. "I shall meet you on the battlefield soon. Try not to trip over any rocks before then." She waved at Robin and grabbed Minerva's reins. As she disappeared over the tents, Lissa came striding over to Robin.

"Hey! I thought I told you to come over, mister!" Robin turned to Lissa, who had her pouting face on. "You're always soooo busy talking to other people, and you never listen to me!" Robin could only feel amused by Lissa's annoyance.

Robin patted Lissa's head in apology. "I'm sorry, Lissa. I was too busy testing out our new friend for battle."

"More like asking her out for a date…" Lissa murmured.

Robin could feel his face turning slightly red. "Why does Lissa always have to think any type of contact I make with another woman as a date?" He tried his very best to ignore what Lissa had just said and proceeded on with the young princess over to the command tent. Lissa continued to poke fun at Robin on the way.

"Hee hee! Look at your face! If that isn't love then I don't know what is!" Lissa smiled gleefully, skipping next to Robin on the way to the tent. "I really thought you were going to go with Anna or Cordelia, but I guess this works too!"

"Look, Lissa. Anyone would react that way if you keep phrasing it like that. And no, it's not love!" Robin's eyebrows furrowed again. "And where in the world did you get those two from?!"

Lissa flashed out her signature smile. "Hehe, just a guess from me. Don't worry about it! It's just a little fun we're having!" She started humming and skipping her way to the tent with Robin. "I wouldn't worry about it though. I hardly think anyone would suspect you of such things. It's just the things we like to do to our favorite tactician." She ended her talk with a little giggle.

As they approached Chrom's tent, Lissa left. She told Robin something along the lines of Frederick needing help.

"She's not even trying to hide it anymore…"

Robin entered the tent to the sight of Virion and Chrom. Raising his hand in greeting, Robin looked at the overview of the map. It was a port, though the size of the Valmese army wouldn't be a factor here. There were enough small streetways to take on each division of the Valmese two at a time.

"If you've called me here, I'm assuming the Valmese have landed?"

Virion grinned, stroking his hair with his free hand. "Of course! My archest eyes spotted the Valmese approaching. Of course, I would have taken a few down had I not forgotten my arrows."

Both Chrom and Robin groaned. "Virion, I hardly think this is the time for that." The prince spoke with an agitated tone. Ignoring the complaints of the other two, the duke continued.

"Speaking of talents, I take it you are impressed by my retainer?" Virion addressed Robin, looking at him with great interest.

"Cherche? She is a fine warrior, though I have yet to see her ride Minerva."

The duke let out a hearty laugh. "Oh, my boy. You are in for a ride. Of course, I was never allowed within five feet of the wyvern seeing as it would've eaten me. However, it does look like quite the ride!"

At this point, Chrom interjected. "I believe that we have time to discuss this later. Our top priority right now should be to go on and take the Valmese before they get an advantage. I shall meet both of you at the harbor."

The seaside was serene and calm, if memory served Robin correctly. However, he could spot small specks of men around the port disembarking from their ships. Heavily armored cavalry led by one man who seemed to be ordering his men to search the homes of the locals. From afar, Robin could see villagers being forced out of their homes with children and wives off to the side.

"This can't end well…"

Behind Robin stood most of the Shepherds. They still remained out of sight at the entrance of the village. Chrom was beside him at the front, looking at Robin for orders.

"Chrom, they're gathering the villagers. I don't know what they're doing it for, but I would recommend trying to distract them before they do anything interesting. You think you can handle it?"

The prince nodded and drew his sword. With a wave, he signaled for half of the Shepherds to come with him. Left behind was the airborne division of the Shepherds. To his side was Cherche atop Minerva. The obsidian wyvern seemed to have calmed down in the presence of Robin, though it still looked him with eyes full of hunger. Robin could feel sweat running down his back but composed himself, realizing that a "friendly" wyvern should be the least of his worries.

"So are you going to ride Minerva or not? I promise she won't eat you this time." Cherche smiled at Robin, offering her hand out to the tactician. He grabbed her hand and warily got on Minvera, who immediately began growling. These growls soon subsided as Cherche whispered into the wyvern's ear, soothing it with her cooing. Out of the forest behind them, a messenger came running to Robin.

"Message from Khan Flavia! She has begun her offense and diverted most of the Valmese army!" Robin nodded at the messenger and drew Tyrfing. He thrust the blade forward, signaling for the Shepherds to move forward. To his right, Lissa was atop Sumia's pegasus and Gaius with Cordelia. As for Nowi, Lon'qu was atop her back in her manakete form. He needed the close combat prowess of these warriors supported by the air in order to cause confusion among the Valmese. While Flavia was engaged with the main force, Chrom was to fight off the men defending the commander. It was left to Robin and his retinue to take out the commander and effectively break up the enemy force. With these thoughts in mind, Robin turned to his squad.

"Let's fly!"

For Robin, this was not the first time he had gone flying. The fear of heights was non-existent for this tactician. He had ridden on Nowi's back before, though she was a generally gentle flyer. As for Cordelia, her pegasus was equally as well-trained and was a fairly smooth ride. Robin never got the chance to ride with Sumia as Chrom was almost always with her and had confidence in her skills as a Shepherd already. By this point, Robin noticed that he and Cherche remained the only ones to have not taken off.

"Hey Cherche, are you read-GAHHHHH"

In an instant, Robin could feel his head leaning backwards while he was forced to grab onto the saddle for dear life. Robin had been expecting a wyvern to be far faster than other creatures, but Minerva was literally flying as fast as a strike of lightning. In the midst of all this, Robin felt a similar sensation as to when he was deafened by Minerva.

"CHERCHE! ARE YOU SURE THIS IS SAFE?! I CAN'T SEE ANYTHING!"

The wyvern rider turned her head to the tactician and simply smiled. She pointed to a ship adorned with an ornate flag donned with the golden emblem of Valm. Robin was unable to comprehend how she was able to hear or see at all, though he decided to deal with that matter later. Despite having tears in his eyes, Robin could easily recognize a command ship from a certain distance. Though hearing was difficult, he was able to make out Cherche shouting out to him.

"Robin! Get ready to descend!"

"Dear gods, what does she mean by that?"

His questions were soon answered as his felt his stomach fly into his throat. Minerva had taken a sharp ninety-degree angle dive to the clump of Valmese cavalrymen, who had well-noticed the diving creature coming towards them. By this point, Robin no longer had a voice left to scream in terror. He saw Minerva quickly descending into the ground. As each second passed, he could see the ground becoming more eager to meet his face. If she didn't slow down any time soon, they were both going to crash into the ground with unsavory results. With panic filling his head, he cried out in desperation.

"CHERCHE! SLOW DOWN!"

She seemed to ignore Robin as she neither gave any indication that she had heard Robin nor did she slow down. As they approached dangerously close to the earth, Robin could see Minerva's talons reach out for a Valmese soldier. The wyvern hit her mark and with a loud thud, riders and wyvern landed. Robin fell off the saddle and was still panting from the multiple near-death experiences he had just gone through in the space of a minute.

The sight of incoming Valmese broke this trance immediately. Placing his hand on Tyrfing's handle, he drew the legendary blade and immediately swung through the first soldier. To his right, Cherche and Minerva were distracting the mass bulk of the incoming force, leaving Robin with two men. Both men charged, though Robin had seen this coming for a while. He set his feet on the ground and ran through the small space in-between the two soldiers. As he passed through them, he could hear two loud figures drop to the ground. He then turned his attention to the wyvern rider.

"Cherche! How are you holding up?"

"I need assistance! I need you to dismount the riders ahead of me!"

Robin nodded and dashed under Minerva's legs. He could see the cavalry trying to avoid Minerva's bite. Swinging wildly as he ran under the cavalry, he could hear the sounds of men falling to the ground. The sounds of horses and men crying in pain rang through his ears, though Robin had been in battle long enough to tune out these noises. The dismounted soldiers were quickly dispatched, courtesy of Minerva and her talons. As he continued to work the ground, Robin heard a rider quickly galloping his way. Judging by the red plume on his helmet, Robin guessed he was the captain of the unit. However, he was already preoccupied with the other riders to do anything and could only watch as the rider approached, battleaxe in hand. From behind him, Robin heard a voice cry out.

"Robin! Look out!"

Robin closed his eye, only to hear the noise of iron clashing with steel. Opening his eyes, Robin saw Cherche's arm struggling as she had blocked the rider's attempted strike. With the rider tangled with Cherche, Robin thrust his sword into the soldier, dropping him to the ground. Robin pulled his sword out of the body. Most of the forward men had already been taken care of with Gaius and Lon'qu clearing off the archers on the way to the main ship. From above, Sumia and Cordelia were doing hit-and-run attacks on the men below without their bowmen to protect them from aerial assaults.

"Robin, get on." He jumped up on the saddle, preparing for Minerva's rough takeoff. Within moments, they were both in the sky with Cordelia and Sumia next to them. From a distance, Robin was able to spot pegasus rider reinforcements approaching from behind.

"Sumia! Cordelia! I need you two to take care of those riders!" Both riders nodded and flew off to the approaching force. "Cherche, we need to take down the commander. Can you get on that ship?"

Wordlessly answering Robin, Cherche pulled Minerva's reins and directed them towards the command ship. From above, Robin was able to spot a man clad in golden armor. In front of him was a villager with a blade to his neck.

"That must be the commander. He doesn't seem to be aware of his frontal forces being attacked. He must be asking them either for supplies or shelter."

As they approached, Robin saw the commander beat the villager viciously. After a brief shoving match with his other soldiers, the commander continued to berate the villager to the amusement of his men. To his surprise, the villager swung at the commander and landed a punch on his jaw. After a moment of silence, the irate commander drew a long, silver sword and approached towards the now cowering villager. Within the blink of an eye, he thrusted the blade into the villager's body.

"NO!" To his surprise, Robin heard Cherche shouting in response to the execution. While Robin had merely grimaced, he had not expected this reaction out of Cherche who had been calm up until this point. As if understanding its partner's grief, Minerva let out a screeching roar and drew the attention of the commander's entourage below. Minerva flew forward with its talons grabbing two of the men before flying off again. As the wyvern dropped the two screaming men into the water, Cherche directed Minerva to fly back towards the ship.

With a loud crash, the wooden floor of the ships cracked from Minerva's impact. The commander suddenly turned to Robin and Cherche, fury written on his face. He clearly had not been expecting an attack on his personal unit this soon.

"You Ylissean bastards! You dare resist the might of Walhart?!"

Robin glared at the commander. "Mighty men don't massacre innocents as you have! If these atrocities are the things your Walhart allows, he is nothing more than a mad tyrant!"

These words seemed to trigger something in the commander's head as it enraged him to start riding directly towards Cherche and Robin. As he rode towards the two, he let out a bellowing war cry.

"Come forward men! I, Dalton, shall slay these insolent rebels and send their heads to Walhart as a gift!" The men behind him let out a wild cheer and began their approach towards the two. From behind him, Robin heard Cherche cry out to Minerva.

"Minerva, now!" A loud screech which pierced Robin's ears was followed by intense heat bursting from Minerva's mouth as the men in front of her were enveloped in flames. The fire glowed a bright red and yellow, licking the hull of the boat. It danced through the ranks of the Valmese honor guard, igniting all without prejudice. Running back and forth, many of Dalton's men jumped into the ocean to douse themselves. Dalton himself was shielded from the flames by his men and was still charging headlong towards them, as fearless as he was cruel.

"Rebels! All of you! Your wyvern and its flames won't protect you!"

Dalton raised his halberd and lunged forward, preparing to stab straight into the rider. Before he could finish his motion, a loud thud followed by a cry of pain emanated from the Valmese commander.

"Eh..?" Dalton looked down to his chest, a silver axe protruding from his armor. Looking ahead of him, he could see that the wyvern rider had thrown an axe into his body. The commander felt life draining from his body as he hit the ground with a crash. He could feel the heat of the boat beginning to whip his fingers, though he could feel his body growing colder.

"Wh-what…how…" The dying commander looked up at the now dismounted rider. She walked up to the commander, tranquil fury in her eyes. Dalton could only laugh. These fools thought they had a chance against the mighty Walhart. Nothing could stop him, not even Naga herself.

"You-you won't be able to st-stop Wal-h-hart. We are merely the mes-sengers of his army. Before long, you'll all be de-" Dalton never had a chance to finish his sentence as Minerva stomped his body into the ship. A loud crash followed by a splash indicated the end of the Valmese commander.

Cherche slowly walked over to the body of the villager. Kneeling down, she held the man in her arms looking at the puncture caused by Dalton. Robin noticed her eyes were no longer filled with anger but sorrow. He slowly walked over to Cherche, kneeling down next to her. He stayed there with her for a few minutes, observing the rest of the Valmese forces surrendering to the Shepherds.

"Why…?" Robin turned his head to Cherche, who had begun speaking again. "Why does it always have to end like this?" Robin didn't know what to say. He had often dealt with the statistical consequences of death but never the emotional ones. He also never thought Cherche to be the type to lament death, judging by how methodically she had trained.

"This man could have had a family. He was living a quiet life next to the sea with his family. Then in a blink of an eye, one man robbed him of all of this." Cherche's voice began to shake. "If they do this to people who didn't even resist, what of my people? What horrors has Walhart brought on them?" She then sighed one more time.

"What are we even fighting for?"

At last he understood what was bothering her. She was indeed a warrior who often thought nothing of death, but the execution she had just seen struck close to home. Robin continued staring at the villager's body. It almost seemed strange to him, the concept of death. During battle, he never stopped to think about how often he was forced to end another's life. What Cherche said was true though. Of all the men he had slain, what of their families and friends? What if they had been forced into serving Walhart, Gangrel, or any other ruler he had fought? These questions always stuck in his conscience, never leaving.

But this was not something he could think about now. His job was to ensure that few people are killed while trying to keep the peace by confronting those who would seek to end it. As a tactician and a member of Chrom's army, it was his duty to command and to fight until the conflict was over. Any hesitation would cause more death and misery, a lesson he still bitterly held from Emmeryn's sacrifice. It was for this exact reason Robin refused to ever become attached romantically to anyone else. Losing someone that close would only cloud his judgment and result in even more loss. Once the war was over, he would have time to mourn for the dead.

"Cherche, things like this are bound to happen. I hate to say it like that, but there is no other way to put it." She turned her head from the villager to Robin. He could see that she was on the verge of tears; anxiety and sadness seemed to fill her heart.

"I need to watch my words. I don't want her to start crying here…"

"Sometimes, we need to do and see things that we despise to our core. Every battle, every skirmish, I always run the risk of having any of the Shepherds killed. It haunts me when I sleep to know that one mistake by me could cause one of my friends to die." Robin didn't know why he was letting this all out to Cherche. He'd only seen her at least three times, but it just felt like the right thing to say.

"Two years ago, Chrom's sister once ruled Ylisse. She was a kind-hearted ruler, loved by all. We all cared and looked up to her. She mended the scars of a war that had long passed. But one day, the Plegians took her hostage in an ongoing conflict from the last ruler. We all acted erratically, placing Emmeryn's safety over the lives of our own soldiers. She understood that her life was but one as compared to the countless soldiers we had lost in trying to rescue her."

Cherche seemed to be listening. "I have heard of this story. The Exarch sacrificed herself, did she not?"

Robin nodded solemnly. "Indeed. Emmeryn sacrificed herself so we were no longer bound by her safety." He hesitated before he spoke again, feeling a lump in his throat. "We managed to get away alive, but both Chrom and I couldn't help but feel that it was our fault we were unable to save her. For months afterwards, I kept blaming myself for her death. What if I could've prevented her from being kidnapped in the first place? These questions haunted me."

Robin took a deep breath. Gods knew how long he was talking for. He decided to continue seeing as the rest of the Shepherds were still gathering up the remnants of the Valmese army.

"I guess all I'm trying to say here is that there are bound to be sacrifices in any war, whether we like it or not. The best thing we can do is to fight not only for the memory of the dead but also for the living. I hardly think Emmeryn would have wanted us to spend the duration of the war mourning for her when there was a war to be won, very much like your loved ones back in Rosanne."

Robin turned his head to Cherche. "I care greatly for all of the Shepherds, regardless of what horrendous pranks they pull on me. You are one of us now, and it would be a shame to see one such as yourself so downcast."

Cherche sat there, staring at Robin with great interest as to what he meant. Upon looking at Robin's face, she turned her gaze back down. Robin stood up and held out his hand to Cherche. She looked up at Robin, seeming a little surprised by this gesture. The tactician, realizing what he had just said, felt his face burning up a little. Looking sideways, he reached out his hand to Cherche.

"You've offered to help me up three times. It's only right I return the favor."

The telltale signs of a gentle smile started appearing on Cherche's face. She reached out her hand and held Robin's hand. As he helped her up, Robin heard a soft growl over from Minerva. His eyes widened slightly, the memories from the last night flooding back in. Cherche laughed softly.

"Don't worry about her, Robin. She won't eat you again ever since I talked to her. It seems like she has taken a liking to you."

Robin let out an uneasy laugh, still keeping one eye on the wyvern.

"We should probably get back to the camp and regroup. After all, we need to hear how the others have fared." Cherche nodded in agreement. As Robin turned to leave, she called out once more.

"Robin, I know this may seem much, but could you help me bury this villager? It would seem disrespectful not to." He nodded and headed towards the villager, thinking to himself as he did so.

"She truly is a kind-hearted person under all that wyvern business."

By the time Cherche and Robin had finished burying the villager, night had fallen. As a result, they were both the last ones to return to the camp. Thoughts of what the rest were going to make of this sight only made Robin worry more than he did during the battle. Soon enough, they were both back at the entrance of the camp where a great loud cheer sounded at their return.

"HOORAY FOR THE HEROES OF THE BATTLE!" Robin looked to his right, spotting Lissa, Vaike, and Gaius. By this point, Robin didn't even know why he pretended to be surprised. Among them were all of the Shepherds, celebrating around the bonfire they had made. There was a great deal of noise and merrymaking all around. From the corner of his eye, he could spot Vaike and Gaius failing to ask the female Shepherds for a dance. Chrom was preoccupied with keeping men away from Sumia, and Virion was out on his usual meandering to court every woman in his sight. Out of the shadows, a large figure swatted Robin in the back.

"Boy! I heard about your little plan to pierce the heart of the enemy! Brilliant!" Basilio let out a jolly bout of laughter. "More and more, I wish I could recruit you both for my tournament, but Flavia would cut my arms off before I could do so!" Once again, the former Khan let out another laugh.

"It is good to see you too, Basilio. How fared your forces?"

At this, he grimaced quite a bit. "I wish I could say the same for my men. We are the finest warriors across the East of the sea, though most of our forces are in shambles now. The town is in no better condition either, though I can easily send the villagers to Regna Ferox for the time being." Basilio grunted once more, "What's especially worrying is that this was merely the vanguard, not even the whole army."

Robin frowned at the news. "This is most troubling indeed. A theoretical attack from the Valmese would see our continent conquered in no time. I believe we would need ships. Lots of ships to intercept them at sea."

Despite the serious nature of the situation, Basilio laughed. "Bright one, aren't you? But shouldn't worry about that. Chrom has already arranged a meeting with the Plegians for help. Even if they don't agree, I believe Feroxi might can do a little 'convincing.'" He turned once more to Robin. "But no worries about that tonight! We have proven we can fight off the Valmese! Tonight is a time for celebration!"

With that, the former Khan left Robin with Cherche again. There was a brief silence before her soft voice broke the silence.

"Interesting character, isn't he?" Robin turned to the sound of Cherche's voice.

"Interesting is understating it. No doubting his bravery and dedication though." Robin turned to Cherche, smiling at her. "Well in any case, tonight is a celebration you've well earned. You've proven yourself as a valuable member of the Shepherds. Hopefully, we'll have many more battles together."

Cherche quietly laughed. "And you've proven you aren't such a stone-headed tactician. I, too, hope that we may fight alongside each other again." With that, Cherche turned to leave. She turned one more time before she left.

"Robin?"

The tactician looked behind him, only to see a Cherche smiling at him.

"Thank you for your words."

Robin instantly felt his face heating up, the blush settling in. He tried to stammer out a few words but was only able to manage out a very awkward smile as well.

As Cherche left from his field of vision, Robin decided that he needed some rest as well. It had been a long day, both emotionally and physically. As he walked back to his tent, thoughts started running through his mind.

"Why do I keep stammering around her? I've done this with every other Shepherd before."

Before he could finish his train of thought, a voice cried out from the far end of the tents.

"Robin! Robin!" Out of a tent came Ricken, thankfully unscathed from the battle. Robin waved his hand over at the young mage.

"Good to see you, Ricken. I was afraid you'd be Vaike or Gaius."

Ricken laughed, looking up at the black-haired tactician. "Nope! It's just me! I heard you got to ride a wyvern! Is it true?"

"Dear Naga, what questions is he going to follow this up with?"

Robin did his very best to compose himself. "You're correct. And I will say, it was fast and unpleasant at times. In all though, it was quite fun." Robin took a drink out of his flask as he spoke. His throat was still hoarse from all that screaming he had done while on Minerva.

Ricken seemed to be bursting with more questions.

"I heard that you and Cherche kissed overhead on the wyvern on the way back from and professed your love to each other! Also, is it true that Chrom has given you two his blessings and you're vying for her hand against Virion?"

Robin instantly spewed out most of the water he had in his mouth into the ground.

"WHAT?! Who in Naga's name told you that? I can assure you none of that happened!"

Ricken laughed again. It seemed like the young mage was having a field day with his misery. Robin decided that he would need to have a small "talk" with Vaike and Gaius the next day. That came later though.

"Don't worry, Robin! The guys just told me to ask you that to see how you'd react!"

"Of course they did. Those idiots..."

Of course, I don't think any of them actually believe you and her have anything going at all. They'll probably do this if we get another lady Shepherd here!"

"Then I hope we don't get another female Shepherd."

Robin groaned.

"Why can't these guys let me sleep in peace?"

After many other questions and finally leaving Ricken satisfied, Robin was at last able to lie on his bedroll. It was often here that he thought about what he had done for the day. Memories of when Emmeryn had died rolled through his mind. Nothing he had told Cherche was a lie, though he did withhold the reason for his lack of any real romantic connection with a female. It was a silly thought, though he couldn't wonder why that concerned him at all.

"Heh, at this rate I'll become Lon'qu's best friend with our avoidance of females."

Leaving the troubles of his day behind, Robin closed his eyes and let blissful sleep at last take him into his dreams.

There you have it. I finally let Robin get a normal night of sleep. Let's hope nothing goes wrong tomorrow...