A/N: Hello again! I apologize for the extended wait, but midterms wait for no man (and neither does the quarter system)! Also, this chapter was harder to write than the others, so I apologize in advance for any decrease in quality. I would like to thank those who are reading, reviewing, and following the story. Your actions help encourage me to continue writing, and I greatly appreciate it. For those who have submitted pairing requests, know that I have received them and am working on deciding them. However, I don't want to give away the story, so they will remain a secret until then! I should get on with the story then, shouldn't I? Presenting, the next chapter in the story! Thanks again for reading, and have a great day!

Robin was awake before he felt Frederick's cold hand shake his shoulder. He had awakened several minutes before, and as he was wide awake, he decided to use that time to think some more about the events that he believed to have transpired last night. Was it real, or a dream? Reanimating dead bodies should be something right out of a novel, and yet the proof of it stood before me last night. What do zombies, an incredible magical discharge, and a mysterious swordsman who may or may not be disguising his or her gender have in common? I don't even know if the portal magic was connected with the necromancy, as the portal's magic felt far more benign than the magic reanimating the monsters. All I know is that everything that happened last night should be impossible. Robin sighed through his nose, frustrated at the lack of sense the world was making. Maybe I'll make a diagram or talk to Chrom about it or something. I still don't even know who I am, and all this nonsense falls into my lap, just asking to be solved. Maybe I should just focus on the matter at hand and try to secure a job as some underling tactician or something. As soon as he thought it, Robin grinned to himself. Hah! As if that'll happen! I guess I'm sort of obsessive when it comes to mysteries. Oh, the irony!

It was at this point that he felt Frederick urging him to awaken, and he sprang nimbly to his feet. Frederick raised his eyebrow, "I'm impressed, Robin! Not many people are able to awaken with as much energy so early."

"I've been up thinking for a little while. I seriously doubt that I'm actually a morning person."

Frederick sighed in disappointment, "A shame. You certainly made quite the impression last night. While I still don't fully trust you, you certainly made a step in the right direction. I was hoping to another admirable quality to that list of yours, but it seems I was mistaken."

Robin pouted, "Hey! What about honesty? Doesn't that count?"

"The jury is still out on that one," Frederick smirked. Switching trains of thought, the smile faded off his face, "Given that the capital may be under attack, I believe we have tarried long enough to regain our strength. Ylisstol is well defended, so if it is under attack from the monsters we engaged last night, it should be safe. Regardless, we ought to make haste to lend aid in case we are needed."

"Right. So, you want to wake everyone else up, or should I?"

A wolfish grin plastered itself on Frederick's face, "If you don't mind, I would like to have that pleasure myself."

"No problem!" Robin responded, a shiver crawling its way down his spine. "Although, you really should find a less threatening way to smile. Seriously, I rarely see you happy unless you're about to bring down the ax. Or lance, in your case."

"I'll let that comment pass for now, but you would do well to remember that my tolerance is limited," Frederick responded as he bent down to awaken his charges.

After much whining, groaning, procrastinating, and a few near death experiences, the Shepherds began to march for the capital.

"I still can't believe you made him break out the water," Robin teased Chrom, who was marching next to him, still dripping wet.

Grumpy from waking up early, Chrom made a face, "It wasn't my fault! I was getting up! I'm pretty sure Lissa is the one to blame here!"

Outraged, Lissa felt it necessary to defend her character from Chrom's unjust assault, "Me?! What pushed him over the edge was when you fell asleep after he woke you up for the third time!"

"Well, at least I didn't try to kill the man!" Chrom sputtered, feeling attacked.

Lissa opened her mouth to respond, feeling guilty that she tried to bludgeon the man, but Sully beat her to the punch, mistakenly thinking Chrom was referencing her attempt to skewer everything in sight, "Hey! Nothing he did woke me up! You should know better than to surprise me!"

"But my beautiful hair was ruined! I'll be walking into Ylisstol looking like a common thug!" Virion complained, feeling that no one was grasping the true tragedy of the situation. "The maidens will be robbed of such a beautiful, heart-stopping sight, all thanks to your buffoonish actions!"

Feeling aggravated at the bickering, Frederick decided to end the pity party, "Until any of you almost gets KILLED MULTIPLE TIMES BY YOUR ALLIES, I suggest you stop complaining."

Properly abashed, the Shepherds changed the topic of conversation while they marched. However, the march to Ylisstol was so short that Robin was able to glean very little about their characters and stories beyond what he had discovered last night. Sully and Virion bade them farewell at the outside walls, but they neglected to mention where, exactly, they would be going. Not wanting to ask, he decided to postpone this line of questioning, and simply content himself with exploring Ylisstol. To his great relief, Chrom, Lissa, and Frederick decided to continue accompanying him through the crowds.

"So, any idea of where you want to go and what you want to do now that you're here?" Chrom inquired.

"I was serious when I said that I was going to offer my services to Ylisse. I may not be an expert in the field, but she may yet have use for someone like me. Especially since war with Plegia seems so close at hand …"

"At least the capital was spared the chaos we witnessed in the forest," Frederick commented.

"It's nice to know that everyone avoided those creatures," Lissa agreed.

"Look!" Robin heard someone call. "The Exalt has come to see us!"

Robin frowned at this, "Her name is Lady Emmeryn, right? Is it safe for her to be so exposed to the public like this with the Plegian threat?"

Chrom shook his head, "She's a symbol of peace, Robin. The first exalt joined forces with the divine dragon, Naga, to protect the world against the Fell Dragon, Grima. The Fell Dragon was trying to destroy the world, but the exalt killed the Fell Dragon so that the whole world could have lasting peace. She reminds us of the peace that he fought for, and acts as a mediating presence when the people might otherwise call for war."

Impressed, Robin shook his head in awe, "Then Ylisse is very fortunate to have her!"

"She's also the best big sister anyone could ask for!" Lissa exclaimed, with a twinkle of mischief in her eye.

Chuckling, Robin responded, "Yes, I imagine she would be."

However, as the meaning of Lissa's words registered with Robin, his eyes went wide, "Wait, what?"

"She's our big sister, silly!" Lissa responded while rolling her eyes at him, as if this fact were the most obvious thing in the world.

"But … but wouldn't … you and Chrom are …"

"The prince and princess of Ylisse, yes," Frederick chuckled. "You remember Chrom's name, and not his lineage?"

"But you said you were 'shepherds!' I mean, I figured were nobles, but I could have never imagined …" Robin exclaimed.

"Well, we are Shepherds, aren't we?" Chrom questioned. "Just … scaled up a bit in terms of sheep."

"Come on Chrom, you know it's not the same thing! I – I mean Prince Chrom!" Robin coughed awkwardly. "Um – please excuse my dreadful manners, sire!"

Chrom laughed out loud at Robin's confusion, "Chrom is fine! I've always disliked formalities."

Something suddenly clicked for Robin, "So this is what you meant when you said 'sacrifices for the realm!'"

Frederick smiled, "Yes. Enduring all the teasing is part of the job of a retainer."

"It looks like Emm's going back to the palace," Chrom noted. "You said you wanted as job? Because I happen to have a vacancy for a tactician in my personal guard."

"…You were planning this the entire time, weren't you?"

"You tell me. You're supposed to be the tactician!"

"You dastard!" Robin groaned, putting his head in his hands. "I showed my hand too early. You played me!"

"In my defense, I wasn't expecting to find a tactician when I helped a stranger on the side of the road! I saw someone who wanted to do some good, and I had the power to help them do so."

"… Fine. I accept that this is good for both of us, but don't think you can pull one over on me again!"

"Challenge accepted! Now do you want to see Emm or not?"

"…Yeah … Thanks, Chrom."

Chrom just waved him off, and began to lead him to the palace. Robin began to marvel at how many people this city seemed to hold. There were shops and markets everywhere, selling everything imaginable. Everyone seemed very friendly and happy while going about their day. Robin supposed that if Emmeryn was as amazing and ingenious as Chrom and Lissa were implying, then it was to be expected that Ylisstol didn't have very many problems. There were so many skilled craftsman working on tomes, weapons, food, clothing, paintings, music, and so many other goods that Robin couldn't even name. This in itself was enough to convince him that Ylisstol must hold a special place in the world.

As he approached the palace, the shops and apartments got more organized, eventually falling away as he climbed the hill to the walls of the palace itself. Robin stared in wonder at the walls at the castle, for they didn't seem to be imposing, or even divisive to him, but he held little doubt that they would strike fear of retribution into any fool attempting to destroy to such a prosperous land. He noticed that the guards gripped their spears a little tighter and assumed ready stances as he approached, but he was glad that the royal family had such attentive guards. The exalted family is far to kind for their own good. If Chrom had found a Plegian sleeper agent in the field instead of me, he would have been done for! Perhaps fate is on their side, but a little bit of caution never hurts. Aaaaand now I sound like Frederick …

Robin sighed, but the sound didn't go by unnoticed. "Something wrong, Robin?" inquired Chrom.

Robin pursed his lips. He thought that Chrom needed to hear a warning of caution from someone other than Frederick, but he felt that now wasn't the right time to tell him, "I'm fine. I want to discuss something with you, but it's going to be a long conversation. We should probably talk about it later, okay?"

Looking intrigued, Chrom nodded his head, before looking up at the vaulted ceilings, lost in thought. Curious, Robin asked, "Now it's my turn to ask you. Something wrong?"

Chrom kept looking up, but he smiled, "Nothing at all. I just think you'll like Emm."

Robin was not sure how to respond to that. Nodding his assent, he decided to try to create a mental map of the castle while they walked. However, he was unable to, as the passageways were winding and irregular in their intersections with one another. Instead he lost himself in the winding passageways of cold stone, lit by enormous windows by day, and he assumed torches by night. He appreciated the beauty of Castle Ylisstol, which was the perfect blend between the beauty of nature and man-made marvel, with plenty of enclosed courtyards, always filled with a little vegetation, almost to serve as a reminder so that those who resided here wouldn't forget the value of life in all its forms. Such an ideology is so different than what I thought everyone believed. Wait … why did I think that? Who is 'everyone?' Suppressing the urge to take a few breaths to steady himself, he pressed on in his inquiry. I must have grown up with a notion that either all life is worthless or human life is superior, as both of those would be different than the ideology presented here. But what conclusion can I draw from that? Clearly I didn't believe it, so who, if anyone, allowed me to separate my own opinions from the mandated ones?

Before he finished this line of thought, Chrom announced, "We're here!"

This proclamation didn't stop Robin from walking right into the throne room door. He heard Chrom and Lissa try to smother their laughter as he howled in pain and clutched his face, hoping that nothing was bleeding. Through his giggles, Chrom raised an eyebrow at Robin, asking him if he was okay. Robin waved him off, stepped back, and composed himself so Frederick could open the doors.

The first thing he glimpsed was Exalt Emmeryn herself, but the aura she exuded was quite different than the one she presented to the public. When he had first seen her, she appeared regal and powerful, yet kind and warm. While she still had these characteristics, there was playfulness and amusement in her eyes as well. Robin was impressed that she maintained her own personality despite being a head of state. He thought that most heads of state often lost themselves in the persona they projected, but Emmeryn appeared different. Instead of faking a personality, she projected her own personality, with certain traits accented and others muted. He knew that the leaders who were able to do this were known as the great ones, as they were genuine. Despite the pressures of leadership, Emmeryn was still true to herself. This feat alone was enough for Emmeryn to earn Robin's respect and admiration.

After thinking all of this, Robin paused, astonished at what he just did. I barely know her, and I come up with all of this? It can't be right … can it? Well, I suppose that sizing people up at a glance could be part of my hidden skill set. Most of these are assumptions anyway. Where on Earth did I learn to do that?

What Robin didn't realize was that while he was reasoning this out, he froze in place, with his mouth hanging slightly agape. When Chrom noticed that his candidate for tactician wasn't by his side, he called his name to try to rouse him from his stupor. When that failed, he walked back, and waved his hands in front of Robin's eyes and snapped his fingers in front of his nose. Finally having enough, he grabbed his tactician by the shoulders, and began to shake him.

Robin leapt backward to escape the assault and ran right into the door that had just closed behind him. He managed to stay on his feet, but a stinging pain raced along his head and back like fire, "OW! I really hate that door. Dammit Chrom! What was that about?"

Trying not to laugh, Chrom replied, "Don't blame me for this! You just stopped there, stuck in some sort of trance. I was just trying to awaken you."

Robin opened his mouth to retort, but closed it, finding no justification. After a few times of repeating this process, he said, "There are better ways of doing that, you know. And a little bit of patience never hurt anyone."

When Robin heard the gentle laugh of the Exalt, he was reminded of where he was, why he was there, and whom he just decided to be snarky with.

"I can see why you picked him, Chrom," Emmeryn commented while smiling.

Chrom looked outraged, but Robin cut him off before he could say anything, "Er, your Grace? You know the reason of my visit?"

"Yes, Robin. My siblings briefly discussed their account of what has transpired since their discovery of you. Frederick also issued a warning, feeling the report incomplete without stating that while he believes your claim personally, there is no evidence beyond circumstantial to substantiate your claim."

"I wouldn't have it any other way," Robin responded as he smiled wryly. Then, icy sweat began to trickle down his back as he realized he was being sassy with a superior again, "Er, forgive my impertinence, your Grace. I simply meant -"

"Robin, it's alright!" Emmeryn responded. "You should feel free to speak your mind in front of me."

"Right … thank you for understanding, your Grace. If I may inquire, have you reached a decision regarding my position yet?"

"We have. It seems that Ylisse owes you a debt of gratitude, Robin. I appreciate all that you have done for Ylisse, and thank you for what you have done for our country Chrom, Lissa, your assessment of his character seems to be accurate, and I trust your judgment. If you think he will make a good tactician for the Shepherds, than I accept your proposal."

Relief swept through Robin's body as he head the words from the Exalt that guaranteed a future for him. However, there was a question he was burning to ask, "Um, your Grace? If you don't mind answering, why did you accept me?"

Robin jumped as a Falcon Knight he hadn't noticed before stepped forward, "Your Grace, the war council is assembled."

Emmeryn's lips thinned noticeably at the mention of war, "Thank you, Phila. Robin, I would be happy to answer that question, but I must postpone my answer. It is imperative that we deal with the multiple threats facing Ylisse and her people first. Chrom, would you like to join us for council?"

Lissa turned to Robin and grabbed his arm, "That's our cue. Now come on! There's something I want to show you!"

Robin barely had time to bid Chrom, Emmeryn, and Frederick goodbye before the energetic blonde dragged him out of the castle. As they worked their way out, Lissa mercifully slowed down just enough to allow Robin to gain his footing. Once he caught his breath, he asked, "So what is it that you want to show me?"

"You'll see!" she responded cryptically, clearly unable to wait to show Robin whatever it was that she wanted to show him.

As they raced through the city, Robin once again marveled at the magnificence that it presented. However, he was unable to enjoy it this time around, as Lissa insisted on running all the way to their destination.

During the race to wherever it was they were going, Robin was feeling unsettled at the lack of explanation the Exalt had given him for his appointment. He was also disturbed at the lack of testing he had been put through. Why on Earth would she accept me? She could trust her brother's judgment while still assessing me herself. Perhaps I didn't earn this …. Maybe it was Chrom's influence that got me this …

Lissa noticed his grim expression and slowed down a bit, "Robin? Are you okay?"

If he hadn't been breathing so hard, he would've sighed, "I'm just worried that I didn't earn the position. Maybe it was your influence on your sister that got me the job."

Lissa shook her head, "Nope. That's not how Emm does things. Ever. She respects our input, but if she appointed you to do something, you can bet she has her own reasons and convictions."

"But she just dodged the question when it came up!" Robin protested.

"When Emm says she'll do something, she'll do it. Just trust her," Lissa advised.

Despite the unease he felt, he decided to have faith in Lissa and Emmeryn. They continued for a few more minutes, eventually escaping the outer walls of the city. Although he still knew nothing about his past, he was able to infer that he didn't do anything physical because his legs were on fire and about to turn to jelly, and Lissa seemed content to continue jogging to their destination. Just when he was about to beg Lissa to slow down, she stopped before a plain, fairly large building and proclaimed, "We're here!"

Falling down on the grass, Robin panted, "Here? What's here? Where's here, for that matter?"

"The Shepherds' garrison!" Lissa exclaimed. She turned around and spotted him on the grass, "Oh, come on, you baby! It wasn't that far!"

Groaning in exhaustion, he sat up, "Not all of us have naturally huge amounts of energy to carry us through everything we do!" He frowned as he remembered her first words, "Wait, we have a garrison?"

"Of course we do, silly! Emm gave us this little area of land just outside Ylisstol so that Chrom could train the Shepherds as they began to grow into a larger group. I think she did it just so he's stop breaking stuff in the castle. It's not much, but it's plenty for running drills and training together. It can actually be quite fun!"

Finally gathering enough energy to rise, Robin replied, "You guys have way too much of a hold on your older sister. The amount of stuff she lets you guys have is astounding!"

"Oh yeah?" Lissa challenged. "Like what?"

"Like the private clubhouse, the weapons, the practice weapons, and a knight that doubles as a butler! Not to mention a personal tactician!"

"Hey! In addition to our day jobs, we get to go on missions to help Ylisseans who need it! And given how lawless it can get away from the capital, most of the things you mentioned are used quite often."

"… I noticed you didn't refute the clubhouse claim."

After sticking her tongue out at him, Lissa said, "So, you want to meet some of the Shepherds?"

Without awaiting his answer, Lissa took him by the arm and dragged him inside. He caught sight a woman with light brown, almost greyish, hair having a conversation with a blond, shirtless man. The woman seemed to be very shy and unsure of herself, but she seemed quite friendly and kind. As for the man, he seemed quite confident, boisterous, and friendly. As he made to greet them, he was distracted movement in the corner of his eye, and saw a large knight, almost completely encased in metal. However, when he blinked, the knight disappeared. … Wow. I must be more tired than I thought! Now I'm hallucinating about metal men …

When he turned his attention back to the center of the room, he caught sight of a blonde woman racing toward them, skidding to a halt before Lissa.

"Lissa! My treasure! All you all right?" she panted.

"Oh, hey Maribelle!" Lissa replied off-handedly.

Maribelle scowled, "Don't you 'oh hey' me! I sprouted fourteen grey hairs worrying over you! Fourteen!"

Lissa smiled at her, "Come on, you worry too much. I can handle a battle or two! Although I would've passed on the camping, bugs, and bear if I had the chance …"

Maribelle seemed to struggle internally before drawing Lissa into a hug, "Oh, how can I stay mad at that smile? Just make sure to bring me along next time, so I can watch your back!"

Robin was impressed that Lissa had managed to find such a devoted friend and considerate person as Maribelle. He wondered if all the Shepherds were as kind and considerate as the ones he had met already. At this point, he attempted to interject to introduce himself, but was interrupted by the shirtless man, "Hey there, short stuff! Be honest, how rough of a time did ol' Chrom have without Teach and his trusty axe?"

"So you're 'Teach' now, huh Vaike? What exactly are you teaching, because I thought it was impossible to teach idiocy?"

Vaike responded by flexing his muscles, "Ha! Never doubt the Vaike! … Wait, was that an insult?"

Vaike began to rub his chin, perplexed by Lissa's question. Robin was torn between amusement and horror as he began to realize that Vaike wasn't joking. However, there was a certain honestly about him despite his boastfulness that Robin couldn't help but admire.

"Er, excuse me, but where is the Captain? Is he okay?" the timid woman gently interjected.

Robin frowned at the mention of this unknown captain, but Lissa replied, "Aw! It's so kind of you to worry about Chrom, Sumia!"

Maribelle smiled, with a hint of mischief in her eyes, "Poor Sumia was simply beside herself with concern all day. Her eyes were ceaselessly scanning the horizon during training. She probably would've done better had she been blindfolded, but knowing that the Captain was safe."

Lissa, with the same mischievous look mirrored in her eyes and a grin mirroring that of a huntress cornering her prey, innocently inqured, "Oh, is that so? Do you have anything to say to this, Sumia?"

During their conversation, Sumia's face grew increasingly red, and she appeared to be resisting the urge to cover her cheeks. She began stuttering, her eyes torn between terror and defiance, and Robin was completely confused about what could cause such a reaction in a person. Just when he was about to ask if she was okay, Vaike asked, "So who's the new guy?"

After pausing for a second to recognize what he was talking about, Robin answered, "I'm Robin, your new tactician as appointed by Chrom. I was just assigned to the Shepherds."

At this point, Lissa snapped out of her predatory trance, and said, "Oh, yeah! I guess he did most of my work for me. Sorry about that, Robin! Seriously though, you should see the tricks Robin's got up his sleeves! He's definitely one clever dastard!"

Vaike seemed to take this as a personal challenge, "Sure, he can pull off some boring tricks, but can he do this?"

Seemingly from nowhere, Vaike let out an enormous belch that went on for a good fifteen seconds, managing to slowly climb and octave before finishing. This elicited laughter from Lissa, a look of bemusement and perplexion from Sumia, and a gasp of horror and disgust from Maribelle.

Robin, vaguely impressed at the level of control required to perform the feat, replied with a chuckle, "I'm sure that you're skills in the belching arts far surpass mine, 'Teach.' In any case, it's a pleasure to meet you all! I certainly look forward to working with you in the future!"

With her eyes full of fire, Maribelle whipped towards Vaike, "Ugh! How many times must I emphasize to you that such uncouth displays of bodily functions are quite disgusting and completely unwarranted? Must you continue to pollute even the air with your buffoonery, you gormless cretin? It's jesters like you that support my belief in the general inherent inferiority of the lowborn classes! It's a miracle that any exceptions exist to this rule since they're constantly surrounded by such vile behavior!"

Robin was astonished at the ferocity of her outburst. Is she really upset with him over that?

However, that was all Robin was able to think before Maribelle whirled upon him, "And you! Robin, was it? I don't know why you would encourage such base behavior! I had hoped you would be a gentlemen based on the praise my Lissa granted you, but she has always been too forgiving of the peasants. You will find no such grace from me!"

During the verbal assault, Robin instinctively raised his hands in front of his face to protect himself. When the torrent of words halted, he peeked through his fingers in time to see Maribelle stomp outside, slamming the door behind her. Robin coughed awkwardly as he began to question which side of Maribelle was true. They say that the way a person treats their subordinates is indicative of their true character … but perhaps I shouldn't judge her so harshly. Not just yet anyway …

Sumia shot him a sympathetic look, "Don't take what she said to heart, Robin. Maribelle distrusts all strangers, and she dislikes what she distrusts. She yelled at me the first time we spoke too, so believe me when I say that she gets better."

Lissa was just laughing at him, "Man, the facial expressions you make are the best! We should try to scare you more often! But yeah, Maribelle is a very protective person. Give her time to realize that you're not a threat, and you'll be fine! Probably."

At this point, the door opened, and Robin began to retreat, fearing Maribelle's return. However, Chrom strode through the door and greeted the group.

Sumia shot forward, "Ah! You've returned, Captain! I was - I mean – we, we were so – Argh!"

Sumia was unable to finish her sentence as she fell on the floor. Robin winced as she seemed to take the brunt of the impact with her face, but as she rose, she seemed to be okay. He looked at the floor, but frowned, as he couldn't find anything for her to have tripped on. Due to the mixture of chuckles and knowing smiles, Robin surmised that such occurrences were commonplace.

Chrom shook his head in disbelief, but smiled in amusement, "Are you alright, Sumia? Was it your boots again?"

Sumia began to brush herself off, and immediately started blushing, "No! I mean yes! I mean …" she trailed off, sighing in embarrassment.

Chrom gave her a sympathetic look before turning back to the rest of the group, "All right, everyone! Listen up! Tomorrow, we march for Regna Ferox to request aid in dealing with the numerous threats plaguing our kingdom. Traditionally, the Exalt would request for aid in person, but given the current state of affairs, she needs to remain in the capital to keep the citizens calm. This is why the task as been passed to us, but the mission is voluntary, as there should be minimal risk."

"I'll go!" Lissa exclaimed.

"Me too! You'll need Teach's charm to win over the Feroxi!" Vaike cheered, clapping Chrom on the back.

"I volunteer as well," said a voice in the corner. Robin barely managed to hear it, but he couldn't pinpoint the origin of the sound.

"I … um, I … er, Captain?" Sumia asked.

"Hm? What's wrong, Sumia?" Chrom responded.

She pursed her lips, looked at the floor, and began to blush, "Well, I'm just not sure I'm strong enough yet to go on a real mission. I'd probably just hold you up."

Chrom walked toward her and placed a comforting hand on her shoulder, "Hey! Don't think like that! If you ask me, you're plenty strong to go on a mission with us. If you feel uncomfortable, you don't have to fight. You can stay behind the main group and observe to get the feel of battle. However, I would recommend fighting as soon as you feel ready. There are some things that you can only learn on the battlefield! Just stick by me, and you'll be fine."

"Oh! Yes! I – I mean, thank you, Captain. I'll be sure to do that!" she beamed at Chrom.

They stared into each other's eyes for a few more moments before remembering themselves. Sumia blushed and looked away, and Chrom removed his hand and stepped back, cheeks reddening slightly. This bizarre reaction drew the tactician's interest. There's something about those two ... are they into each other? That would certainly explain a lot of Sumia's behavior, and Chrom does seem to reciprocate. Hmmm. I'll definitely have to figure this one out …

"Robin!" Chrom yelled, jolting the tactician out of his momentary mental lapse.

"… This is going to become a thing, isn't it?" Robin replied dryly.

Chrom grinned back, "It certainly appears so. Would you consider coming? It would be nice to have a tactician on the way. Political strategy and war tactics aren't very different after all."

"Mind telling me what Regna Ferox is first, and what sort of aid we're trying to secure? I do still have amnesia …"

Chrom's lips thinned, "Constantly irritating the guy you keep asking for answers isn't the best idea. It certainly doesn't make me WANT to help you …"

Sumia broke in, "Oh, don't be so hard on him, Captain! The poor man has no memory! I'd be happy to help you in any way I can, Robin!"

"Thank you, Sumia! I'd be honored to accept," Robin answered. "See, Chrom? A little bit of patience goes a long way …"

"But – but – that's not fair, and you know it!" Chrom stuttered.

"Wait, you don't remember anything? Than how do you know your name is Robin?" Vaike interjected.

"Well, that's actually the only thing from my old life that I remember."

"Since you don't remember anything, how can you be sure? None of us remember you from back then. You should just pick a new name to go with your new life. Something cool. How about Vaike Junior? Not as awesome as the Vaike or Teach, but still pretty awesome!"

"… While you raise some startlingly accurate points, I like the sound of Robin. While it might be wrong, it still feels right to me."

"Eh. Your loss!"

"Hold on a second! I'm trying to brief our tactician!" Chrom exclaimed, mildly irritated with his team's antics.

He sighed, and returned his attention back to Robin, "So, anyway, Regna Ferox is a kingdom warriors to the north. Emm says that they're quite skilled and would definitely be a good ally to have in the troubling times that we're facing currently."

Robin grinned, "Sounds like fun! Count me in!"

Chrom sighed in relief, "Alright! Well, I'm off to spread the word. If you see any other Shepherds, let them know about the mission. I'll see you all here bright and early, as it's a fairly long march to Ferox. Do any of you want to help me out?"

"Sure thing!" Lissa replied, and sprung up, once again eager to help.

Vaike stuck his tongue out at Chrom, "Nah. I'm gonna go lift some weights. This magnificent physique didn't just happen by itself! Yeah, Vaike!"

With that, Vaike exited the barracks. After chuckling at Vaike's antics again, Robin replied, "It seems you have a fair amount of books here. I'll just read some, try and catch up on stuff that I've forgot."

Sumia looked torn, but ultimately said, "I'd love to, Captain, but I did promise Robin that I'd help him with his studies."

Robin immediately felt guilty, "Seriously, Sumia, you don't have to do that! I can probably just teach myself."

Sumia smiled at him, "Nonsense! You'll get lonely among all those books if you're not careful!"

Chrom smiled, but Robin was able to spot a hint of disappointment, "Very well, Sumia. Your kindness never ceases to impress me."

After a beat, they both began to blush very noticeably. Robin raised an eyebrow at Chrom, and smirked, quite sure of his intentions now. Chrom cleared his throat, "Well, we should head out now if we want to track everyone down. Let's go, Lissa!"

She tried to protest, but he grabbed her by the wrist and dragged her out. Shaking his head at his friends' amusing behavior, he turned back to Sumia, "So, what do you think I should learn before we march tomorrow?"

Sumia blinked, "Huh? Oh, yeah! Well, what do you know already? I don't want to waste your time by accidentally teaching you something you already know."

Robin frowned, "Well, that's kind of tricky. It appears that I retained a fair amount of procedural knowledge, and a little bit of factual knowledge. The procedural stuff I remember are things like fighting, walking, and stuff like that. The factual knowledge for me seems to be limited to tactics and sorcery. I was able to recall this knowledge only after I was prompted, though."

Sumia began to twirl her hair in thought, "So, do you just want to go through the basics? You can just tell me if you think you start to remember something, and we can just to a quick review to ensure that you remembered all part of it."

"Okay! And thanks again for your help. I know you wanted to help Chrom," Robin stated, implying his apology.

"Oh, it's no problem at all! I actually like reading, so this is a bit of a treat for me," Sumia replied, moving to a desk in the corner of the room.

Robin and Sumia quickly established that he retained fundamental knowledge on a fairly large amount of subjects ranging from mathematics to finance to political theory. However, it seemed to be more difficult for him to recall more advanced facets of most subjects, with the notable exceptions of tactics. The theoretical aspects of swordplay and magic were definitely coming back as well, but they were doing so much more slowly than his tactical knowledge. It appeared that he had no knowledge of history or current events beyond what he was exposed to already.

"Wow, Robin!" Sumia exclaimed. "How on earth do you know so much stuff?"

Robin blushed, "It's really not that much! Besides, I'm sure that I wouldn't have remembered it nearly as quickly without your help."

Sumia smiled sweetly at him, "That's sweet of you, Robin, but I know almost nothing about sorcery, tactics, or swordplay. I was quite useless when it came to those subjects."

"I didn't know what we were looking for either! Besides, that stuff would've come back sooner or later. You made sure I knew all the important things!"

"Oh, don't be silly! I thought I knew a lot because I read so much, but you must have done some serious studying somewhere in your past."

"You said that before. What do you read?"

"Oh, I read everything! It's one of the few things that I'm really good at! I truly love reading novels though."

"Oh? Perhaps you wouldn't mind recommending one? It would be nice to read something before bed sometimes."

"Hmmm. How about Shanty Pete and the Haunted Pirates? That one was thrilling! It kept me up for a whole week straight!"

"Yeah … um, I think I've had just about enough horror. You know, with the zombies and everything?"

"O – Oh. Yeah, that makes sense. Sorry. Um, how about, uh, A Simpleton's Guide to Pegasus Care? I found that one fascinating! There's so many things about pegasi that I didn't know before!"

"Er, I was hoping for something with a story in it to begin. I do love learning new things, but I did want to rest my brain before bed."

"Ah, yes. I remember now. Haha! Um, how about Wyvern Wars: Terror at High Noon? I've been meaning to read that one!"

"… Did you have something a little more … I don't know, relaxing?"

"Oh, Pegasus poop! I'm so useless! I can barely keep up with you even though you have amnesia, and now I can't even help you pick out a book! Useless, useless, useless! It's so easy, but I'm so darn useless!" Sumia exclaimed. She began to sniffle and tear up.

Robin's eyes widened at the outburst, and after a moment's hesitation, placed a hand on her shoulder, "Hey! Sumia, please don't cry! You've been a great help to me in my studies. In fact, it would be quite fun if we read the books together once we got some free time. And I've changed my mind about the Wyvern Wars one. It sounds awesome, with terror and high noon and everything!"

Sumia sniffled again, wiping her eye, "Really? Are you sure you want to?"

Robin smiled at her, "Really. I may not have time for a while, but I'll be sure to do so when I do."

She smiled at him through her watery eyes, "Oh, I'm so happy I could help! I hope you like it!"

She glanced outside, and gasped. Robin followed her gaze, and realized that the sun had set a while ago and the moon seemed to be rising. "Wow!" Robin commented. "It's this late already? We sure spent a lot of time in those books, didn't we?"

Sumia giggled, "We sure did! I wonder how neither of us noticed that the light was dimming! Well, I should be heading home now. Do you have somewhere to stay?"

Robin frowned, "Um, not really. I didn't think about it until just now. I'll just stay here and sleep on the couch, I guess."

"You'd be welcome to say with me if you want!" Sumia offered. "I know you don't know me very well, but I'd like to think that we're friends!"

Robin was touched by the offer, and grinned, "Thanks for offering Sumia, but I'd feel terrible imposing on you like that! Seriously, I'll just stay here since I'd just have to come back in the morning anyway. Besides, I don't think Chrom would mind."

"Okay. I don't want to force you. Well, I guess I'll see you tomorrow!" Sumia said.

"Until then!" Robin replied and waved goodbye as she exited.

Standing up from the desk and stretching, Robin took a few deep breaths to try to calm his mind and process the long day he just had. Lying down on the couch, he wrapped his coat around him like he did the previous night. Wow! If a couch is this comfortable compared to the ground, I wonder what a real bed feels like!

He shifted his thoughts to analyzing everything that he could remember. So I'm a Shepherd now. It certainly feels nice to be a part of a community. I wouldn't know what I would've done with myself if Chrom hadn't taken me in. Chrom has an interesting taste in friends, but they all seem like good people. I still can't believe he's the prince of the realm. What are the chances of him, of all people, finding me in that field? That's fate for you, I guess.

At the mention of fate, Robin sighed at his amnesia. What possible designs could fate have for inflicting me with such a disease? Why in Naga's name would this happen? I have no signs of head trauma (note to self: thank Sumia for the first aid book) so what could have caused this? If it's magic, I can't sense any residual energy. Speaking of magic, there has been no advancement on the Marth front or the portal front.

Robin sighed once again in frustration. Why, oh why, is my life so complicated? At least I have more friends to help me keep everything straight. At this comforting thought, Robin emptied his mind and succumbed to the exhaustion he felt, allowing the warm embrace of sleep to grip him once more.