Author Notes:
-Italic is used for flashbacks and dreams.

-I do not own Fire Emblem and do not make any profit from this story.

-As usual, I didn't find any other suitable way to split up the chapters than those lines.


Chapter 6: Of War And Men

This was it. The first battle of the many that would decide the fate of Ylisse. If they failed to defend Port Ferox from the Valmese vanguard, the soldiers of the Conqueror would have free access to the continent.

Anticipation coursed through Cherche's body as she nervously gripped the hammer she had been handed for the upcoming fight. The familiar sensation of numbness had returned in her shoulder. Frowning, she rolled it around, trying to get some of its feelings back. While it wouldn't prevent her from fighting, it seemed her past wound might still be a hindrance in the upcoming battle.

Next to her, Minerva fidgeted excitedly, eager to throw herself into the fray. Cherche was envious, sharing the beast enthusiasm would make any battle easier to her. And yet, despite the Shepherds noble intentions and the hatred she harbored towards the Valmese, she despised fighting. The only reason that kept her going was being able to fight to reclaim her country and secure a peaceful future for her people, freed from the Conqueror's shackles.

Around her, Chrom's group waited for their leader to return. The Exalt had left with Robin and Frederick, respectively his tactician and his most trusted knight, to negotiate with the invading forces. Cherche could feel the tension in the air: everyone was steeling themselves for the fight. Some, like Vaike, couldn't contain their excitement. Playing around with his weapon, people had moved away from him to avoid being accidentally hit by the brawny axeman. Others sported a more serious expression, preparing for the battle in silence.

The Shepherds had been assigned to the northernmost side of the town while the Feroxi and Ylissean armies combined were defending the rest of the city. While Chrom's band had to defend the smallest part out of the three groups, scouts had reported the admiral ship was heading straight to them, foreshadowing heavy fighting in the near future.

Chrom soon returned, accompanied with the two men he had brought along. Every single Shepherd turned their attention to him, staring at the Exalt with expectation. "These savages will never listen to reason. Everyone, prepare to engage!" he exclaimed, raising his falchion in the air.

A loud roar from the most exuberant soldiers answered him as Robin moved forward, taking the prince's place in front of the Shepherds. The white-haired man waited patiently for the soldiers to settle down and handed everyone their assignment for the battle. Cherche had been told his story as she joined the Shepherds: found by Chrom laying on a field with barely any memories, he quickly demonstrated immense talent for military tactics and strategy. Having now earned the full trust of the Prince, he had been nominated Tactician of the Ylissean army.

The man eventually approached her after assigning everyone else a position. "Cherche, you are both the first and the only wyvern rider among our ranks. To be perfectly honest, I don't exactly know what to expect from you two," he started, crossing his arms as he examined both the woman and Minerva. "That said, considering the size of your… friend, fighting among our shock soldiers could be the most fitting spot."

Cherche didn't give it much thought. Ever since she had come back from Wyvern Valley with Minerva, she had trained for and fought in the front lines. "Yes, this would most adequate. My dear Minerva hungers for a bite of the action," she replied with an approving nod.

The man seemed satisfied, a smile on his face echoing her answer. "It's settled then, you'll join our shock force on the right flank," he ordered, unfolding his arms. "Usually I have Sumia and Cordelia assist the whole army, considering their mobility… but now that you're with us, your group should do just fine."

Cherche answered with another understanding nod. "Yes, sir. I will do my best to keep them safe."

"Good, you two take care out there. Oh, and one last thing," he added, frowning slightly. "Don't call me 'sir', my name is Robin."

Comfortable with referring to the man either way, she climbed her wyvern's back before answering. "I'll be sure to keep that in mind, Robin."

About to respond, a loud roar interrupted the tactician before he could start. Minerva seemed eager to start the fight rather sooner than later. Initially covering his ears with both his hands, Robin soon regained his composure. "I suppose it's about time we get started, then. Let's do our best, Cherche!"


Minerva hurriedly scurried to their post, the ground resonating under her heavy steps. Less than a couple of minutes was enough to reach the shock force, with the Shepherds being so limited in numbers. So limited, in fact, that the so-called 'shock force' seemed to be composed of only three people, Cherche included. While she couldn't see the enemies, her vision obstructed by several block of houses, she knew the docks where they were landing was less than a thousand feet away. Cherche instantly recognized Lon'qu: his arms folded, he was leaning against the wall of a house with his usual detached expression. While he didn't make any signs of acknowledging her, the brawny man next to him, Vaike, was not nearly as silent. As soon as she arrived, he waved to her. "Hey, Cherche! Over here!"

Cherche gracefully jumped down from the wyvern's back as she reached the pair, briefly patting the side of Minerva before answering. "Hello, Vaike. Robin said I'll be fighting with you today."

The blonde-haired man let out a hearty laugh and grinned widely. "Har har! With ya and the wyvern around, there's no way we're losin' this!"

Cherche returned a smaller smile before giving a glance to her surroundings, only to see Minerva and the two men. "I appreciate the enthusiasm, but… only us four? Are other Shepherds supposed to join us?"

Vaike looked at Cherche with surprise, opening his mouth only to be interrupted by a hesitant voice behind her. "Um, four? I've been standing here all along, you know."

Cherche quickly turned around to be greeted by a young man in an oversized suit of armor that she definitely didn't notice before, be it here or in the camp. "Err… And just who might you be?"

"I'm Kellam. I've been fighting with Chrom for a few years now, but I can be easy to miss. Or so I was told."

The woman stared at him with disbelief, then turning to the two other men to check if she was being messed with. Lon'qu didn't seem concerned in the slightest, looking away from them. Vaike, on the other hand, looked to get a kick out of the situation, his lips curled into a wide smirk as he observed her.

Cherche shook her head, gathering her thoughts. There were more pressing matters to attend to, the Valmese invasion being one of them. "… Right. Anyway, how do we go about this battle?"

Before anyone else could speak, Vaike cleared his throat loudly and pointed to the black-haired swordsman. "Robin wants us fightin' in pairs, so me and my pupil over there will go together. Must teach him to be a warrior and all that man stuff. You can go with Kellam, I guess."

While she was slightly upset with the way Vaike spoke, his plan was as good as any, as simple as it was. Lon'qu, however, had visibly trouble keeping his anger in check. "Tsk. Are you done blabbering yet, fool? I'll not stand here suffering your japes while the enemy is nearing."

The swordsman didn't wait for an answer, but instead turned his back to the group and started to jog towards the docks. Vaike soon ran after him, shouting something about not getting his pants in a twist.

Cherche couldn't help but feel uneasy with how the whole situation played out. War wasn't a venture that should be taken lightly, and yet Vaike seemed to think of it as no more than a game. Lon'qu was no better: while he might have been the quietest person of the group, he looked just as hotheaded, heading into battle without waiting for anyone.

Deep in thoughts, she barely noticed Kellam approaching her. "I have a bad feeling about this, Cherche," he confessed, his brows furrowed.

"So do I. We should get going right now, before anything happens to them."

"Agreed. I'll catch up to you, so you can go on ahead. I won't be too long," he said, emphasizing the 'too' part.

"I don't think this is a good idea, we should stay together. Tell, do you require help to climb on Minerva in that heavy armor of yours?" she offered. Were the situation any lighter, perhaps the expression of sheer terror of the man would have amused her.


Kellam was clutching so hard on the saddle that his fingers had dug deep furrows in the hardened leather. His was a most position: his movement impaired by the heavy armor, he had to keep his lance in his right hand, forcing him to hold on Minerva with the left one only. Getting him up there had been a burdensome process, the wyvern having to practically lay down on the ground for the knight to be able to laboriously climb her. Perhaps letting the beast simply seize with its claws and carry him to the fight would have been easier, all things considered. With the short distance they had to cover, precious minutes would have been saved.

It didn't take long before Cherche spotted Vaike on the ground, frantically waving his massive axe as he dispatched two armored knights. Laughing maniacally, he rushed to the five remaining Valmese soldiers, despite being outnumbered.

"Look, over there!" Kellam pointed to another figure about three hundred feet further away, which she recognized as Lon'qu, surrounded by three cavaliers. His situation was precarious: far from possessing the mobility of the riders or the reach of their spears, he had to rely on his agility to dodge or deflect the incoming blows. How both the Shepherds managed to get separated so soon into the fight was a mystery.

Cherche shifted the wyvern's course, dashing towards Vaike. "Get ready, Kellam. I'll drop you close to him. "

Kellam tapped on her shoulder to grab her attention and shook his head. "No. I'll, errr… jump down, if that's alright?"

She examined the man, not exactly brimming with confidence. "Are you sure about this?"

"I… wish? But we lack time, just make sure not to fly too high, alright?", he asked with pleading eyes, struggling to control his involuntary shaking.

Cherche was about to argue but refrained from doing so. The knight had a point, the faster they would be the better for Lon'qu and Vaike's odds of survival. Besides, they almost reached the place where the axeman fought. "Understood. Keep that hothead in check once you're there."

"Y-Yes!"

Minerva descended until they were twenty feet above the ground while Kellam made ready to jump, shifting his leg's position to sit on the side of the saddle, holding on only with his left hand. However, the wyvern was an easy target for the Valmese archers, now that it was so close to the ground. One of them aimed for the beast, pulling then letting go of the string of his bow in an experienced manner. Minerva abruptly swung to the right, dodging the flying arrow at the last moment. Kellam wasn't so fortunate however: unable to keep his hold on the saddle with the sudden movement, he fell from the beast with a desperate scream. Cherche winced as he landed on one of the soldiers below, his soft body cushioning the impact of the armored knight's landing. Vaike immediately moved in to cover Kellam as he struggled to stand up, giving him space with wide motions of his axe.

Partially relieved, she yelled to cover the commotion of the battlefield. "Hurry, Minerva! To Lon'qu."

The wyvern needn't being told twice. It instantly flew up, making distance with any of the Valmese archers, before shifting its course to glide towards the swordsman. As they drew closer, Cherche noticed he was clutching his right arm, struggling to keep his weapon raised. Next to him was the corpse of one of the cavaliers, leaving the man with two remaining. They lowered their spears, ready to charge at Lon'qu to land the finishing blow.

Minerva let out a bone chilling roar as she charged, catching their attention and stopping them in their charge. It was already too late for them: the wyvern had seized one of the cavaliers with her jaws, shoving her claws in his horse to soften up the landing. Cherche jumped on the other horseman as the beast landed, dismounting him as she unceremoniously tackled him to the ground. Lon'qu reacted surprisingly quickly, running up to the fallen warrior to plant his katana in his heart. Blood spattered on Cherche's visage as she shut her eyes close to avoid letting the warm liquid in.

"Can you stand?" a voice asked with a hint of concern.

Cherche opened back her eyes to see Lon'qu a few feet away from her. She was a little winded from the dive, but it was nothing she couldn't handle, the horseman having suffered most of the impact. "Yes, I'm fine. Just need to… catch my breath, is all," she answered as she laboriously stood up, quickly brushing the dust of her clothes.

"What about the others?"

"Fighting the enemy, when I left them anyw-…" Cherche paused, suddenly noticing the blood flowing from Lon'qu's arm. He was still covering the injury with his hand, pressuring it to prevent too much blood from flowing out.

"Let me see your arm," she said, moving forward to grab it.

Lon'qu jumped back and threw a glare at the woman. "Not one more step! I am fine, so there is no need for your concern."

The knight stopped as ordered, remembering his phobia. However, she couldn't suppress the frustration that quickly rose through her body because of the man's demeanor. While the area was cleared from enemies for the time being, lingering too long on the battlefield was just asking for trouble. "You cannot even keep your sword up proper. Keep going like this and you'll end up losing your life! Not to mention you'd endanger both me and Minerva."

Lon'qu observed his injured arm before looking back at the woman with a deep breath. "Fine, I will walk back to the healers. Hopefully it shall suffice to appease your concerns."

"No can do. Catch!" Cherche threw him a roll of bandages she grabbed in one of Minerva's satchels, busy feeding herself with the horse she downed earlier. Lon'qu grabbed the object with a swift motion of his left hand, demonstrating surprising agility from his off-hand.

He opened his mouth, maybe about to protest, before being cut off by Cherche pointing to Minerva's back. "Save the thanks for later. Now climb on while we have the time, I will bring you back to base."

"What? I refuse! You will not ha-", Lon'qu started vehemently, until clamors of incoming soldiers reached them from one of the nearby streets. A handful of knights and swordsmen were running their way, weapons raised. It wouldn't be long until they'd be engaged with the reinforcements.

"For the love of all the gods!" he cursed as he ran towards the wyvern, sheathing his sword and tucking the roll of bandages in his tunic. Cherche had already climbed on the saddle and extended her hand for the man to grab, which he did without any hesitation, to her surprise. It seemed the man was able to overcome his fears during life and death situations. He stopped any contact with the woman as soon as he was able to however, sitting the further away possible in the saddle while keeping hold of it with both his hands.

Minerva didn't wait any order from Cherche before taking off, dodging a couple of javelins thrown their way. The Valmese soldiers' screams and curses faded as she flew away, leaving the trio to themselves. Lon'qu, jaws clenched, didn't speak a word, his fingers' joints whitening from the pressure he exerted on the saddle. Cherche, unwilling to further burden the man, respected his silence and remained quiet. On the way, she let out a single relived sigh as they flew over Vaike and Kellam, busy fighting off a single remaining enemy. It seemed the pair was fine for the time being.

"Idiot."

"What?" Cherche asked while turning her head to face the man, raising an eyebrow in confusion. The insult had been thrown without any hesitation, with seemingly no apparent reason. His eyes were focused on the ground below, avoiding Cherche's gaze. She had to check again to notice his glare was fixated to the pair of men she had been watching.

"He thinks this war is a damned joke. That fool went out his separate way to prove he was stronger by slaying more enemies than me."

Cherche remained silent, unsure of how to proceed. Somehow, she wasn't surprised: such reckless behavior seemed typical of the axeman. Such a matter would need to be addressed later, for now the safety of the man was her priority. Lon'qu didn't press the issue further either, instead returning to his stoic silence for the duration of the flight.

As soon as Minerva landed in front of the tent acting as infirmary for the battle, Lon'qu swiftly jumped down while muttering some words of thanks. About to follow him, the man raised a hand, motioning for her to stop. "Hold! You've done enough, I will manage from thereon. Go save that fool instead before he gets himself and Kellam killed."

Cherche acquiesced with a nod. "Get yourself patched up, I will check on you after the battle." She didn't wait for his answer and pulled on Minerva's reins instead, who didn't waste any time flying away as quickly as she could. The man was right, there was still a battle to be won and the wyvern intended to not lose any more bites of the action.


There it is, almost 10 days left. Internet issues and time consuming real life issues, which I won't delve into, has been getting in the way and prevented me from writing as much as I wished. At least, it's there now, and longer than other chapters. You may have noticed this chapter was released on a Monday instead of the usual week-ends: with a lot of people now in vacations, I've decided there was no point delaying chapter releases since a fair share of you readers being able to read them during the week days anyway. Which means, for the next chapter: either it'll be out in the upcoming two weeks, or any day before. That said, I'll have a tight schedule during July, so I'll do my best to avoid being late (again).

Before then, take care everyone and see you on the next chapter. Also: KELLAM BOMB!