Author's Note: This chapter took a bit too long for a few reasons - first, summer classes have started, and if you're wondering why my classes are starting in late January and why it's summer here, it's because I'm from the Southern Hemisphere, more specifically Brazil. What does that mean? That mean I will probably do a bit of slipping on the prepositions because English is not my first language.

However, I've gotten a very interesting review that prompted me to start writing this again. TheStudiousThug, if you wouldn't be too annoyed, could you send me the flaws? I think it's easier for me to concentrate on fixing my weak points.

Anyway, on with the story!

Stahl's mind was following a steady rhythm. The clip-clop of Kupfer's hooves on the cold plains of Regna Ferox's coast was all he could keep in his mind when it came down to his horse. He was keeping watch, and Kupfer's step was steady, so he didn't need to focus much. Out of tiredness, he started muttering something...

"This is my horse. There are many like it, but this one is mine.

My horse is my best friend. It is my life. I must master it as I must master my life.

My horse, without me, is useless. Without my horse, I am useless. I must ride my horse true. I must ride better than my enemy who is trying to kill me. I must strike him before he strikes me. I will..."

"My horse and I know that what counts in war is not the number of times we attack, the noise of our charge, or the dust we make. We know that it is the strikes that count. We will strike..."

Sully was filling in with the Knight's Creed. It was her time to keep watch. Great - Stahl couldn't keep himself up for more than a few minutes.

"Sleep tight, Stahl and Kupfer, we need you marching tommorow. Up for a just when we set up camp?"

"Maybe, Sully, I'm a bit dozy right now. Take care, you and Whisky, the terrain's a bit rocky." And to the clip-clop of gravel, Stahl drove off in a semi-dreamy world.

After leaving Kupfer on the "stables", which were more of a fence post with rope on it than anything, Stahl dragged himself to his tent. The low-hanging ceiling would be enough for basically everyone, but Stahl only lost in height to Gregor and Frederick, so he had to squat for a bit. Throwing himself on the bed with little regard for the bed or his back, Stahl's mind faded to black and into the day when he was recruited.

It was around noon, and the region around Fendort, a major coastal city near Regna Ferox's coast, but still in Ylisse. The entire northern region of Ylisse seemed to have travelled to it. Fathers, mothers, sisters, brothers, everyone was here, trying to join the new regiment that Lord Chrom, now at his tender sixteen years of age. The Shepherds. Stahl was a city boy, but he had never seen the city so crowded. In fact, it was so crowded, he accidentally bumped into a rather familiar girl. Or more specifically, her comically-sized hat.

Miriel.

Miriel was a girl he knew from the neighbourhood. Always energetic and eager, but not in the sense one might expect. She had a permanent deadpan on her face, and a bizarelly complex monotone even for a girl her age. The fact that she always dressed in black never really helped to bring people closer to her, so she became the "crazy cat girl" from the neighbourhood. That said, she was one of the most common shoppers, with always the craziest materials needed. Apparently they were for potions.

Stahl was the middle son of the apothecary, so basically everyone knew him from behind the balcony, and he knew everyone, because the youngest was out dealing with the people that had just come to deliver something and the oldest was carrying most of the remedies. Their father still had no idea how Stahl got his green hair when both of his brothers had red hair.

"Miriel! Heading to the recruitment zone, I suppose."

"Ah, most certainly. Can you imagine what it will be like to explore the world? To see, learn, record all the things that've yet to be discovered? What sort of breakthroughs might one make in the area of philosophy, or botanic, or zoology, or magic!" She had a gleam in her eye that was sort of fascinating.

Stahl was, much like Miriel, interested in seeing the world. He had plans to join the army for a while now, and this could be his chance. For a perfectly average guy, he wasn't actually expecting to be recruited.

"Well, we won't get there in time if we keep to your pace. Get on Kupfer's back, we'll be going soon."

Kupfer had been the son of a warhorse from a neighbour who had decided to let Stahl and his brothers name the newborn colts. It had become his horse when he reached 12, and he had become quite adept at riding it. Much like Stahl, Kupfer was fairly social but nothing special.

As the duo speeded through the alleyway, they reached the main street. Both Stahl and Miriel, despite being used to crowds, couldn't help but release a gasp of amusement at the gigantic crowd. It was all so different, so vibrant, so new to all of them... It was cut short by a girl mounted on a horse, no less than Stahl and Miriel's age, who seemed to be taking her time and yet breaking through the lines. The accent was rather unknown to them, but she spoke the same language.

And then, after a few minutes of following her, she stopped. Stahl furrowed his brow. Miriel had said his brow was in a permanent state of being furrowed, however this time it was more

"Lady, would you get your preposterous behind out of the travelling space?"

For how smart Miriel was, she had no social skills whatsoever. Stahl was pretty sure that was the only thing she didn't understand.

A girl looking just as young as Miriel and Stahl, with a brightly-colored red in her hair which was extremely cut short - in fact, Stahl's haircut (or more specifically, the lack of it) was longer than her hair - and a mean looking face turned to her.

"What did you just say about my ass?"

Stahl was cursing Miriel on the inside, and performing a minor pray on the outside. She was probably going to get the two murdered if she didn't keep her mouth shut.

"Oh, gods..."

"Excuse me, rat, I have some business to deal with your girlfriend."

"I am but his neighbour."

"Yeah, sure, where were the two lovebirds heading?"

"The Shepherd recruitment, just like every other living soul in this roadway."

"Well, you ain't taking my space on the Shepherds."

"We'll see about that, lady."

Stahl had to intervene. Both redheads had a fierce gleam in their eyes, and they could probably kill one another right now.

"Hey, there's space for all of us. Let's just try not to kill one another before we get there."

"Saved by the bell there, thesaurus."

"Oh, goddamnit!"

The slow march was steady, and they finally reached the square. Stahl accidentally hit something, but he couldn't put his finger on what it was. A royal carriage stormed through square. Exalt Emmeryn was as radiant as always, and Lady Lissa was showing a mix of excitement and boredness on her face that bamboozled Stahl. And then there was Lord Chrom.

Lord Chrom was but an year older than Stahl was, yet he looked much more determined and mature than Stahl. In fact, Stahl didn't have much in his mind other than carrying on with his life. Stahl was a normal teen, in a lot of ways, lacking the fierce determination that he saw in Miriel and the redhead's eyes. He certainly wasn't expecting to be picked.

A young man, probably as old as his older brother, was driving the carriage. Dressed in what appeared to be a mix of a butler's uniform and a blue cavalier's armor, the man, if he could say that, was stern, and slightly worried. Stopping the carriage at the center, the royal trio exited the carriage to the cheers of the crowd. They looked almost normal in a way, if not for the silk-clad robes.

The blue cavalier jumped from his horse, cleared his throath and announced with a voice that he would hear for quite some time after this one day.

"Those that are over 14 years of age, walk into the main square. I am Sir Frederick, member of the Shepherds. I will be the judge for this competition."

Stahl walked carefully with his horse. Miriel was not used to riding Kupfer, and he wouldn't want to accidentally hurt anyone. The redhead was there too. Miriel dropped from the horse, and Stahl took a look at the line that had formed. A plethora of faces he didn't recognize, and one the entire city knew all too well. An year ago, when asked about the blond-haired boy who did not own a shirt, or at least that was the impression since he never wore one, they would complain about that daredevil, petty thief, bad example... It was not until six months ago that Vaike had decided to start being a great example, after a speech Exalt Emmeryn gave on a visit. He still was a daredevil, but he was going to prove that he was going to be a hero. That anyone could be a hero, that anyone could have a good heart, that anyone could, if they tried enough, succeed at their life.

Stahl noticed he was spacing out. Focus. As the blue cavalier walked by the line of recruits, taking a look at the people who were in the line. His face was fixed, stern, calm. He was far from being a battered warrior, but he had an iron will.

"I want you to present yourselves. Starting with you, mister." The cavalier pointed his lance at Stahl. He was at one of the edges.

"Stahl Apoth, sir!" Stahl was nervous, but he had to focus. His vision started getting curved. Stahl had a minor problem with stress.

"Miriel Beck, sir!" Miriel was to his right. After a few more people, it was the redhead's turn.

"Sully Iascai, sir!" Yup, from the Islands. That sort of last name was from the people of the Islands.

Suddenly, he heard a scream from the line - yet he could not see who it was until he focused on it a bit.

"Kellam Mairn, sir!" Another Islander, huh? This one was extremely weird. Mainly, how people did not notice him in his massive armor.

A short scream was heard as a girl fell backwards before standing up again. She had an old pegasus with her, which was... weird, at least. Stahl was more of a receptor of stories than a storyteller himself, so he knew about several things from stories he heard from costumers, but didn't really have stories to tell.

"Sumia Reznik, sir!" One from the East Hills, huh? Probably had a decent life. The East Hills were relatively rich compared to the cities.

Last, but not least, the once-troublemaker.

"Vaike Odiej, sir!"

And the crowd around the square gasped. That last name was from the East Hills. Why would Vaike, of all people, be from the East Hills?

"If you're from the East Hills, why do you look like a bum?" Stahl could feel the tension from the nearly 100 meters of distance he was from Vaike and Frederick.

"Vaike is an orphan, sir!" Again, more gasps from the crowd. Stahl felt sorry for Vaike, in a way. Leaving the fair-haired boy, Frederick started explaining the competion.

"Right. Six of you will be leaving today with us to Ylisstol. The rest will go home. However, it will be fought in doubles. Pair up, grab your training weapons, enter your armor, and the competition will start in half an hour."

The massive group headed to a store at command. Sumia picked up a flower from the ground and started seeing wheter or not she should pair up with Vaike. Sully seemed to be talking alone, but Stahl knew Kellam was there somewhere. Vaike flexed his muscles. And Stahl felt a tug on his clothes.

"Stahl, we have formed acquaintances with one another, making our fighting likely to be more cohesive and fluent. Shall we 'pair up', as that knight said?"

"Surely, Miriel. Any plans?" Stahl was nervous. Everyone was nervous.

"Striking quickly is probably our best choice in this situation."

The day passed on in the fighting yard. Between the intervals, he studied the others. Sully was doing a great job of distracting other people, followed by Kellam striking at them. It was effective. In the same vein, Vaike dropping from above was also being considered an efficient tactic. Miriel and him were being cohesive - Stahl knew her mannerisms all too well, and she knew his. Stahl acted as a ride and charge-stopper with his training lance while Miriel pelted away with a minor tome. It was working.

At the end, Stahl was overly tired, sweaty, and stressed. He was going to pass out any time now. He took a look around. Sumia. Vaike. Kellam. Sully. Miriel. Himself.

They had made it.

They were the last six.

They were Shepherds now.

"Grab your possesions. We'll be leaving at dusk." And Frederick stormed off.

Stahl was tired.

Way too tired.

Stahl was sweaty.

Way too sweaty.

Stahl was stressed.

Way too stressed.

Stahl passed out, both in his memories, and in his life.