Here's my first support. I'll probably do the Frederick one next.

C-Support: Stahl

Aly mumbled to herself under her breath, digging around in her belongings spread around her room in Castle Ferox. The Shepherds had been staying in Regna Ferox's capital for a couple of days now, and the Tactician was getting cabin fever. Usually, she'd take a walk if she grew restless, but outside was snowing pretty hard. For some reason she had a strong aversion to the cold, and had no desire to go out unless she had to. Maybe it had something to do with her life before her amnesia happened. In order to occupy her time, she started thinking of what her fellow Shepherds might need help with. And that had reminded Aly of Chrom's birthday. Even though they had just recently met, Aly had a strong connection with her Commander that he seemed to feel as well. She would feel miserable if she didn't get Chrom a suitable present. And that was what led to her tearing her room apart in search of a gift.

"Now, what would he want more than anything? Hmm... Maybe a sword?" She picked up a fancy rapier she had found while they were marching and decided to keep. It would definitely be practical. "Wait, what am I thinking? He already owns the most treasured sword of all..." How could she have forgotten about Falchion? She put the rapier away and continued looking.

"Heya, Aly! You thinking up a birthday present for old man Chrom?" a familiar voice said from the door. Aly froze for a moment, before turning around to see Stahl standing in the hallway. She must have left her door open again, too focused on her objective to remember to close it. And her things were thrown all over the place too… She could feel a blush coming on already.

"He's hardly 'old,' Stahl... but yes, I am. And to be honest, I'm at a bit of a loss for ideas." She admitted. She was pretty proud of herself for keeping her cool so close to him.

"Ha! Isn't that a pickle!" Stahl leaned against the doorway, making a clanking sound as his armor banged together. Why was he wearing his armor anyway? He usually kept it off when not fighting or marching. Aly decided to ignore it for now.

"Buying for royalty would be hard enough, but we're in the middle of a war. It'd have to be small, to transport easily with the caravan, and nothing excessive..." she explained further. Maybe Stahl had a good idea. He's been a Shepherd for much longer than she had.

"Yeah, cheap is good. Chrom's never been much for gold and glitter, anyway. I was actually thinking of brewing up a special concoction for him," He admitted. Aly became much more interested. Well, more interested in Stahl than usual.

"You mean like a potion or tonic? I didn't know you dabbled in such!" There were quite a few things she didn't know about Stahl, she thought. He blinked in surprise and nodded, unused to people thinking of him in a special way.

"My father is an apothecary, and he taught me the trade."

"Homemade gifts are always the best! Would that I possessed any such talents..." Her expression became more subdued as she racked her brains for information on herself. Maybe she did have a talent and had forgotten it. Not remembering anything of her past was frustrating at times. Watching Aly darken so quickly because of her amnesia bothered Stahl for some reason. He hated seeing anyone down and the Tactician was no exception. Maybe if he suggested something for her to do…

"Er, say. My ingredients are quite costly and difficult to find in the wild..." She lit up almost immediately again.

"Perhaps I could gather them?" she asked, briefly reminding him of an excited child, but not in a bad way. He smiled.

"Yes, exactly! Then the present could be from both of us."

"Perfect! We can solve both our problems in one fell swoop." Today was becoming more productive than she originally thought it would turn out to be.

"Then it's a deal!" Stahl said, turning to leave again. "I was actually planning on leaving now to go look for some leaves I need." The mention of leaving the comparatively warm castle sobered up Aly quickly. Well, it explained why he was dressed for battle. You never knew when Risen would appear.

"You mean you're going outside?" He laughed at the horrified expression on her face.

"Yes, that's where most trees tend to grow. Are you coming, or did you change your mind?" Aly hesitated, looking out the window at the still falling snow. It was probably still freezing like it was when they arrived, but she had just said she would help Stahl get his ingredients. She didn't want to disappoint him.

"…Give me a moment to get ready," she said. He smiled again, making her regret the decision slightly less.

"I'll be by the gate when you're done!" Stahl disappeared down the hallway, leaving nothing but the sound of his boots on the tiled floor. Aly sighed and fastened her coat all the way up to her neck, sticking a Thunder Tome and an Iron Sword into her pocket and belt. It wouldn't do to be unprepared in case of an attack. She exited her room, closing the door behind her before she walked through the castle towards the gate. Stahl was standing nearby, his brown horse saddled and wearing its own plate mail.

"Stahl!" she waved to grab his attention. He turned to greet her.

"You ready to go?" he asked, getting onto his horse and holding out a hand.

"Hold on." She flipped up her hood, obscuring her eyes and part of her face with the coat's shadow. "Now I am." He bit back a laugh.

"You look like a Dark Mage now. Do you really hate the cold that much?" She stuck out her tongue and grabbed his hand, pulling herself up to sit behind him.

"Yes, yes I do." Stahl rolled his eyes, but he directed the horse out of the castle, stepping out onto the snowy plain. Aly cringed as the wind hit them, but Stahl ignored it and continued on, leading them to the forest farther away. As they rode, she gradually relaxed, adjusting to the temperature. Maybe this ride wouldn't be so bad after all.

An hour later, the pair rode back into the castle's gates, Stahl sniggering under his breath and a cold and wet Aly clinging to his back. The guards gave them strange looks, but neither Shepherd said a word until they were inside. As soon as they were out of earshot, Stahl broke into a loud laugh. Aly glared at him, but couldn't keep a straight face and started laughing too.

"I can't believe you did that!" he managed to get out.

"I only did it because you asked!" she said, trying not to leave a puddle of melted snow in the hall they were standing in. After searching for the right tree, Stahl had tried to reach the top branches to get the unfrozen leaves, but his armor impeded him too much. He had then suggested that Aly try, as she was less bulky. Not realizing that he wasn't being serious, she scaled the tree and got a handful of what they needed. She had then lost her balance coming back down and fell into a snow drift, head first. Stahl dug her out, but by then she was soaked to the bone. They had returned immediately after to dry her off. "I think I got snow down my shirt…" she shivered and laughed again.

"Come on; let's go see if anyone has extra clothing for you." He grabbed her hand and led her down the hall again, causing her to blush. That ride really hadn't been that bad in the end, when she thought about it.

"Hey Stahl, do you kno-, why is Aly soaking wet?" They both turned to see Sully behind them, looking confused. Stahl scratched the back of his head sheepishly.

"Uh…training accident?" Aly giggled from behind him. Yes, not bad at all.