Originally posted: 4/18/2015


The Northroad

Chrom

He hadn't seen Robin smile all throughout their journey.

Every time he saw her he felt his heart break as he remembered the girl running through the streets of Ylisstol. Her laugh was so easy back then. So innocent and free. She really was just a child

He recalled the old librarian. "You take care of her, young man. Don't let her die while you lords and kings are marching your little armies around." Is this what she meant? It seems the librarian cared for her more than I ever did

Robin wasn't the only one in poor spirits today. Sully's will appeared to leave with her legs. How could someone be a knight if they couldn't run or seat a horse? She couldn't even ride back to Ylisstol with the others; she had no choice but to sit in their supply cart. The lance at her side no more than an accessory. Robin was never far from her side though neither of them spoke much; Sully seemed to just appreciate her presence.

They stopped to make camp early. The rush of their visit to Regna Ferox wasn't present in the return trip. The alliance was made and now everyone could breath a little easier.

All but Robin, it seemed. The addition of Lon'qu, who was Feroxi in everything but heritage, made her uneasy. She wore her disgust of Feroxi traditions on her sleeve and she seemed more uneasy around him than he was around her. Luckily they retained a fair distance. Though, he was coming to regret his chosen assignment for Lon'qu.

Lissa had been needing a bodyguard for some time no matter what she said. Everyone, including her, knew that she had no experience with weaponry or offensive magic. She needed someone to keep her safe. Basillo had said Lon'qu was the strongest man in Regna Ferox, so choosing him as her protector seemed obvious, but now he wasn't so sure. He'd never heard of a bodyguard who was effective from 50 meters away.

"Chrom," he was interrupted from his thoughts as Robin rode up beside him

"Yes, Robin?"

"I am wondering what you intend to do with our Feroxi...allies."

Chrom hadn't really thought that far ahead. He knew that the civilized nations would have to pose a united front if they hoped to end the Risen attacks, but the specifics of what they would do once they united had been something he hoped would just sort itself out. "I plan to talk with Emmeryn once we return to Ylisstol. This was mostly her idea, after all."

Robin nodded, "These Risen attacks don't seem like a dedicated assault. I believe these ones are being sent ahead of a larger army to test us and look for weaknesses. If it was up to me, I would have Regna Ferox loan us soldiers and use them exclusively to deal with these smaller outbreaks, keeping our own people in reserve for when the real battle begins."

"You want them to be used to fighting Feroxi so we have an advantage," Robin nodded, "But you do realize this will but Regna Ferox in a hard place. Not only will they have fewer soldiers, but all their tactics would be known to the enemy. They would lose a lot more people."

Robin scowled, "I don't think they'll mind. They don't care when their people die in simple misunderstandings."

Damn me. Chrom sighed, "Your plan has merit, but you probably don't want to word it like that in the meeting."

"I'll be present?"

"Of course, you're our head tactician." As much as I would prefer you to be left out of the whole mess.

Robin was quiet for a bit as she appeared to process what she had just been told, then she looked back at him, "Very well, I'll-"

"My lord!" Just then a scout came running up to him. He was sweating heavily as he hurried his way through the frozen snow and when he finally reached them he was out of breath. "M-My lord...something...something terrible has..."

"Breath, then tell me what happened."

The scout did so, "We saw smoke in the distance and went to investigate. A village has come under attack.

"Was it Risen?"

"No, my lord, Plegians. The town is burning."

"How many?"

"Fourteen when I left, my lord."

Robin took over, "We'll take Sumia, Fredrick, Stahl, Miriel, Virion, Vaike, and Lon'qu to keep them from escaping. The rest will make sure the convoy reaches that village as quickly as possible; that's our next stop."

Chrom nodded, "You all heard her. Move out."

Burned Village

Robin

They saw the smoke before they saw the town. A long black pillar hinting at the death and misery it came from.

Chrom had warned her before they arrived. "Steel yourself, Robin. Whatever we find, it won't be pretty." It did little to prepare her.

The village men had put up a fight. Their corpses littered the entrance when the group approached. Their attackers were brutal and cut through them like butter. There was maybe one Plegian for every ten innocents. Robin couldn't tell if it horrified her, or enraged her. She barely felt the tears running down her cheek.

They finally came across two Plegians. Throat cutters, checking and looting their victims. Robin was the first to attack

This time, she felt nothing when their enemies fell

They continued their trek through the burned town. As they progressed further inward, the corpses in the streets changed from men with weapons to women and children. Those who couldn't do naught but run as they were cut down. "The lucky ones" Fredrick said, and Robin dreaded to see what happened to the less fortunate. At one point she almost tripped, and realized the obstacle in her path had been a boy no older than six. He had been running. They could have let him go, but they didn't. Robin was glad they killed the two Plegians before.

The next time they saw people that still breathed, it was Plegians. The main force. They were gathered in the center of the village stacking large pieces of wood against the elder's cottage and placing lamp oil around it. They mean to burn it down.

"All mounts, cut off their exits." Upon the last words, everyone on a horse or pegasus moved to the streets that led away from the town center. Fredrick and Sumia moved to the eastern road while Stahl with Miriel riding with him moved to the western road. The bandits forgot their tasks and readied their weapons for the imminent attack. "Virion, announce us to the nearest Plegian."

The arrow found it's mark in the bandit's throat. He stared at them helplessly as he grabbed the shaft. He fell to his knees and then collapsed, driving the arrow further in. The gurgles he made as he choked on his own blood were strangely pleasant to Robin's ears. So this is how Chrom feels when he fights.

Chrom stepped forward and aimed his sword at the butchers, "You are surrounded. Surrender your arms, now!"

"O'er my dead body, sheep!" That was the plan

One of them, presumably the leader, whacked the speaker in the back of the head with the flat side of his ax. "Shut yer trap, Var! Any one'o them could cut down half of us!" He turned to Chrom and threw his ax on the ground. The rest looked to him, then did the same. Damn them!

At that moment, a rider came up behind them. One of their own.

"My lord, the convoy has arrived. We are just outside the gates."

Chrom nodded, "Bring people with ropes. We have prisoners." He then turned to the leader, "Where did you put your prisoners?"

The Plegian spat on the ground, "On a pile of burnen timbers." Robin saw Chrom's sword arm tense, and it appeared the Plegian did too, "You goanna kill an unarmed man, blue blood? Where's ur honor?"

Chrom turned away from him sharply, "Where are those ropes?!"

Robin walked to a group of their men, "Half of you start putting out fires. The other half with me; we need to find survivors." If we can

The search did little to raise her spirit. The homes they found people in were worse than the ones they found empty. These people are savages. But none of it compared to the last. The one she would never forget. The inn.

Upon approach, Robin was certain she had seen every atrocity capable by human hands. But when the first man walked out, she began to doubt.

"Gods save us..." he stepped backwards right after entering. The second man looked in and then turned away to vomit.

"What's there?" Robin asked weakly as she stepped forward

The first man stood in her path, "Miss Robin...you..you don't want to go in there."

Robin looked past him, "No...no, I have to see." Somehow, she felt she owed it to them.

Reluctantly, he stepped aside.

Burned Village

Sumia

It had to have been the smallest slingshot Sumia had ever seen in her life

The thing could barely hold a pebble, let alone a decently sized rock. It's owner couldn't have have been taller than her knee. So small, weak. But young enough to think he could fight off any villain that came his way.

"Hey," Stahl walked up beside the rubble Sumia had taken for a seat, "Are you alright?"

"Y'know...I had a slingshot just like this when I was a kid..."

Stahl looked at the object in her hands. "That a fact...you don't seem the type..." he said solemnly

Sumia nodded, "Yea well...it was more necessity than anything. My family had a little puppy when I was about four that some of the village boys liked to kick around. What choice did I have but to stop them?"

"Pretty brave kid," Stahl set his sword aside and sat next to her, "I probably wouldn't have been able to pull it off."

"It wasn't that magnificent," said Sumia, "Less than a week after the boys stopped, I ended up accidentally shooting our puppy in the leg...stupid, can't even protect something as little as a puppy..." Sumia's hands started trembling, her knuckles turning white as they gripped the slingshot between her fingers

"...Hey, careful-" Stahl's warning came too late. In the next second, the small projectile slipped from her hands and broke in two against the stone pavement, splintering right through the middle like a wishbone. Sumia didn't scream, or even cry; she just looked at the small memento of the unknown child claimed by war. A child she never knew, and would never come to know; who would never grow, and who's only mark upon the world would a single slingshot, now snapped in two on the side of a road to be forgotten by history

"Of course...of course, only I could break something like that..." Sumia stared at it, her expression that of complete resignation.

Burned Village

Chrom

The bandits had been searched. It got them nothing but a twelve gold pieces and naught they could use.

"Though they are clearly of Plegian origin," said Fredrick, "By law, we must-"

"I know what the law is, Fredrick." Damn them and damn the law...

"Aw, is sheepy upset?" the leader taunted him. All they've done and I can't do a thing about it.

"Come the morning, you will come with the rest of us back to Ylisstol," he said as he was required, "From there, you will be...escorted back to Plegia to face trial under their courts." His teeth ground against each other as he said the words. Sent back to Plegia to face trial, and then given a clap on the back for a job well done by the mad king

"That looked like it hurt," said the Plegian, "I think yer standing in the town's healer. Maybe you should ask er to see to you."

"Be silent, brigand." said Fredrick

"Or what?" The Plegian turned to Fredrick now, "What'll you do, sheep? Ye can't kill me, it'd soil yer precious hono-"

He was interrupted as a bolt of lighting went through his hand. He screeched and jumped back, gaping at the place where his limb used to be. Chrom looked to the source and saw Robin marching towards them with fury in her eyes.

"Dastard!" She shouted as she readied another bolt. She was held back by a guard; Chrom couldn't tell if he was relieved or disappointed

Robin tried to break away from the guard, going so far as to elbow him across the face, and it took the help of another one to keep her back. "What happened? What did you see?" said Chrom

Robin looked at him with such rage he felt as though he would melt.

"Kill him. Kill all of them."


Edit (12/3/2015): Added Sumia and Stahl's slingshot scene