Chapter Ten
Betrayal

Even when they were on march, even when they were escorting the Exalt, there was no escape from Frederick's Fanatical Fitness Hour. When everyone gathered into the mess hall, and it was announced that they would be taking Emmeryn to the eastern castle before marching to Regna Ferox, Frederick also made the announcement, that everyone who did not usually have a mound would be walking on foot for endurance and stamina. At first, Anali did not mind, and actually thought it could be fun.

How wrong she was.

By mid-day, a few miles away from the eastern palace, Anali felt downright miserable. In her imagination, she entertained the thought of a random pegasus just swooping down and carrying her the rest of the way. Pegasus riding could not have been that different from horse riding, could it? And to think, Anali was a little apprehensive when it came to flying.

Never the less, Anali kept her complaints to herself. Lissa, on the other hand had little qualms when it came to voicing her complaints. "I've got blisters the size of eggs!" she whined.

"Oh, it's not so bad, Lissa," Chrom said, amused by his sisters antics. "Just a healthy little stroll. How are you holding up, Anali?"

'Healthy little stroll' her arse! "I think the bones in my legs disintegrated," Anali replied dully. "Your endurance astounds me."

Chrom chuckled at this, and asked, "Should I carry you, perhaps?"

Anali's face turned red immediately. How could he ask such a thing? Not only was it a bit inappropriate, given their positions in this army; Chrom was commander. He was supposed to be setting an example! "You can carry me!" Lissa exclaimed, her hand held in the air. "No, seriously, I would really be okay with you carrying me."

"Milord," Frederick said, trotting up to the three. "Phila and Sumia have spotted something in the sky, headed our way."

Anali looked up behind them, sure enough there was something flying in their direction. From over head, Phila landed in front of them. "Peace, Sir Frederick," said Phila. "Sumia identified her as Cordelia."

"Cordelia?" asked Anali.

"One of my knights," the blue haired woman explained. "Young, yet quite gifted. But she was stationed on the border… Oh, gods!"

Phila's eyes turned skyward as Cordelia's Pegasus landed. Anali was shocked when she realized Cordelia was the same woman who played the harp for Chrom's birthday. Her beautiful dress was replaced with a tight, red and white dress that went down to her mid-thigh, and a polish breastplate. And her long red hair hung freely, aside from the two winged hair ornaments. "Your Grace! My prince!" Cordelia exclaimed as she dismounted her snowy white pegasus. "You must run, as far away as you can! Plegians are headed to Ylisstol as we speak! Not a days march!"

"Cordelia," said Phila. She dismounted her alicorn and approached Cordelia. "What are you doing here? Tell me the border remains secure!"

The Pegasus Knight bowed her head. "That I could, milady, but it would be false. Gangrel himself led his might against us! The end was upon us when my knight-sisters begged me to fly and warn the Exalt… I should have stayed with them… I should have stayed!" Cordelia cried. She pressed the palms of her hands against her ears as she sunk to her knees. "I can still hear their screams…"

"Peace, Cordelia," Phila crouched down and placed a hand on Cordelia's shoulder. "You did your duty. The sisters rightly prized your youth. You've many years yet to keep their legacy alive."

"But I abandoned them! I'm weak… Their legacy deserves better!"

"Sometimes fleeing takes the most courage," Phila said, reassuring her gently. "They knew that. Now pull yourself together. Let the faith they showed in you give you strength."

"Captain Phila," Cordelia choked out, wrecked with sobs. "How can I go on like this? They were my… my family… Oh, gods…"

Anali watched the scene play out with one hand over her mouth, fighting the need to cry for Cordelia and her sister-knights. It could not have been easy on either side. "Damn those monsters!" she heard Chrom curse under his breath.

"Your Grace," Traino said, bowing his head slightly. "We must return to the capital."

"Yes," Emmeryn replied with a nod. "At once."

"Your Grace," Phila said firmly. "I cannot advise-"

"Traino is right, Phila, I should have never left," the Exalt cut her off. "If it is discovered I'm away when this news comes to light.. The people would panic. Riot. More Ylisseans could needlessly die."

Without another word, Emmeryn took something out of her saddlebag. She slid off her horse, then approached Chrom with a shield, with a single stone in embedded in it, in her hands. "Here, Chrom," Emmeryn held the shield out to her. "I entrust this to you."

"The Fire Emblem?" Chrom questioned.

"Take it to Ferox - to safety."

"And leave you?" Chrom asked, refusing the Emblem. "No, Emm."

"No part of House Ylisse matters more than the Emblem," Emmeryn said, gently shoving the Emblem into Chrom's arms. "It possesses tremendous power. But too much blood has been shed over it already. I hope it finds a better guardian in you than it did me."

"Emm, come on!" Chrom snapped, tossing the Emblem into Anali's arms. She almost dropped it out of surprise. "You can't…" he shook his head. "Don't talk like that! You sound like you're ready to give up!"

"I am not giving up, Chrom," Emmeryn corrected kindly. "I am only giving what I can."

"Emm, please! This is madness!"

"Sis, wait!" Lissa spoke up, approaching her elder sister. "Let me go with you!"

"Stay with Chrom, Lissa," the Exalt said, placing a hand on Lissa's shoulder. "I command it."

Lissa shook her head, tears started to well up in her eyes. "This isn't fair!" she cried. "It's not fair! I know our people need you, but we need you, too!"

Smiling slightly, Emmeryn cupped Lissa's face into her hands. "Dry your tears, love," she said, using the pads of her thumbs to wipe Lissa's eyes. "This is not good-bye."

"Your Grace," Phila stood straight with her hand behind her back. "I will accompany you back to Ylisstol."

"And I am always by your side," added Traino.

"Very well," Emmeryn smiled at her two greatest allies out side of her immediate family. "Thank you."

Frederick cleared his throat. "I will keep the prince and princess safe, Your Grace," he declared. "You have my word."

"I know you will, Frederick. Thank you."

"It is my honor."

"Cordelia," Phila turned to the red-head. Cordelia had calmed down slightly, but it was clear that her heart would be heavy, and her mind would be elsewhere for quite some time. "You will stay with Chrom."

"But, Captain-"

Phila placed a comforting hand on her shoulder again. "I know your heart is heavy, but this is how it must be," she told her. "Your knight-sisters will be with you in spirit, wherever you go."

Slowly, Cordelia nodded. "May they give me strength," she murmured. Straightening herself back up, Cordelia gave Phila a salute. "As you command, Captain. I will pray for your safety."

"Come, Phila," Emmeryn gestured, "we should be going."

"No!" Chrom shouted. He grabbed Emmeryn's hand before she could even approach her horse. "You don't have to go! This is absurd!"

"Chrom, you don't-"

"Walking to your own death will not bring peace to anyone!" snapped Chrom. "Ylisse needs you. We need you! Be selfish for once in your life!"

Emmeryn stared at him with a stoic expression. In some ways she was reminded of the little boy who could not quite understand what Emmeryn was trying to say in the early days of her reign. And in some ways, Chrom still did not understand. He would someday, but not yet. He was still in need of a little more time.

A small smile played upon her lips as Emmeryn reached up to tussle his hair the way she used to when they were younger. When Emmeryn was taller than him. "I love you, Chrom," she said in earnest. "Both you and Lissa are my everything. As for the peace I seek… you cannot see who it is for yet. I have to go. I'm sorry," she placed a hand over her heart, "truly I am. Let us embrace again in Ylisstol when you arrive with Feroxi reinforcements. I know you will come."

"This is a terrible plan," Chrom muttered, looking away from Emmeryn, and lowering his hand as he spoke.

"The blood of the first Exalt flows strong in us. You and I will keep Ylisse safe. I believe it with all my heart," said Emmeryn.

Anali was grateful when Frederick took the Emblem from her. Something that precious to Ylisse felt incredibly wrong in her hands, the hands of an outsider. Anali knew what she should have done was pull out her map and discuss their next course of action with Frederick. Instead, Anali sprinted towards the small herd of two horses and three pegasi. Emmeryn was still in discussion with Phila and Traino.

Anali took a deep breath in, steeling her courage before she started to second guess herself. "Milady." She started to wring her hands together when Emmeryn and Traino turned to look in Anali's direction. "C-can… At least bring some of us with you. I-it's not much but…"

'Yes, keep talking, Anali,' said a little voice in her head. 'You're just brimming with confidence and charisma right now.'

"You're right, it's not much." Emmeryn placed a hand on Anali's shoulder, causing her to tense up. "Which is all the more reason for me to politely refuse."

"But-!"

"You're a strategist, Anali. You must realize that one life lost compared to millions is a small price to pay."

Anali bit her lower lip. No lives lost was always the ideal goal, but realistically speaking, one life was better than the whole army. It was a fact that Anali didn't like, but it was something she was going to have to accept one way or another.

A sudden pat on the shoulder startled Anali. "But I can depart knowing Chrom and Lissa are in good hands." Emmeryn gave her a warm smile. "It's a little overdue, but you have my gratitude for your work last night. The way Chrom speaks of you, one would think you were his personal Goddess of Victory."

"Emph!" Anali bit harder on her lower lip as a blush formed on her cheeks. Chrom really talked like that?

"Please, excuse me," said Emmeryn. "We are both on a tight schedule. Time is of the essence."

In one graceful motion, Emmeryn pulled herself onto her horse, sitting sidesaddle and all. She nudged her horse with her heel, Phila and her two associates took off into the air while Traino stayed at Emmeryn's side.

Emmeryn's departure left Chrom looking out into space, which left them with little choice but to let Frederick and Anali take charge. Anali, always carrying a map whenever they were out on a march, looked it over with Frederick. He pointed out that there was a farm near by who specifically bread horses of Ylisse soldiers, and would be more than willing to let the Shepherds use a few on their way to Regna Ferox.

It was Anali's idea to split into two groups in hopes of drawing less attention. One lead by Chrom, the other lead by Anali. They would separate after getting the horses they needed, take two separate paths around the hills, and meet later the next day .

Anali was not quite sure how she felt about leading half the Shepherds as the group split up. Sure, she came up with strategies, but she never actually lead them. In fact, she was actually kind of worried that she would be a bit of a pushover as a leader.

So, they got the horses, and split their supplies into two, and the Shepherds traveled two separate paths. In Anali's group, was Cordelia, Panne, Gaius, Lon'qu, Vaike, Ricken, Kellam, and Miriel. And Lon'qu was the one who rode on horseback with her. Anali could tell that his body was tense, but he never said anything. "Are you nervous because I'm a woman, or because it's me specifically?" Anali asked after a while.

"Yes," replied Lon'qu.

"You're still mad about the fig thing?" she asked. "You gotta admit, I made a great first impression."

"No, I'm over that," growled Lon'qu. "But it's the fact that you continued your fruity assault during my early morning training!"

"Oh, yeah," Anali grinned at the memory. It was a couple of days after the return from Ferox. That time, however, Anali used grapes since Frederick more or less banned Anali from the figs. "Did anyone tell you, you train at ungodly hours?"

"You even snuck into my room, what if someone had seen you? Imagine what people would think."

"You worry too much." Anali waved her hand in dismissal. "See, human's are creatures of habit, and I know everyone's sleep schedule because of it. So I wasn't going to be caught."

With a furrowed brow, Lon'qu's jaw hung half open for a solid fifteen seconds. "I honestly can't decide if you're some genius or a common dimwit sometimes," he confessed dully.

"Well," Anali beamed with her pointer finger aimed skyward. "You gotta admit the silly girls are cuter than the clever ones."

The grunt Lon'qu let out suggested that he was less than impressed.

That night the group set up camp, with less people, there were less tents to set up, and less people to feed that night for dinner. And once camp had been set up, the Shepherds were off doing their own thing. Lon'qu, Gaius, and Vaike were sparring against each other, Ricken looked like he was busy writing a letter, and Miriel was reading. Cordelia stayed with her Pegasus, petting him on the nuzzle, and a little lost in thought. It was more or less unanimously agreed to give Cordelia her space right now.

And then there was Panne, who sat herself in the mess tent, even though Anali should not have been preparing dinner for a little while longer. Swallowing, Anali took in a deep breath before she approached the taguel. "Em… Panne?" she asked meekly.

"What?" Panne asked, making an effort to not sound snippy.

"I-I was just wondering if you could tell me more about the taguel?" Anali started to fiddle with her fingers. "I barely know a thing about them, and I though… I-I mean, if you don't mind…"

"I do not."

Anali nearly fell over when she heard this. "Really?"

Panne looked up at Anali. The taguel's expression was as stony as ever, but her eyes carried a particular glint to it that gave Anali goose bumps. "Why do you doubt me?"

"I-I don't know," Anali said, shifting her weight from side to side as she hugged herself with one arm. "I supposed I didn't think it would be this easy. I was ready to argue my case." She mumbled under her breath, "Kind of disappointed really, I thought it was a good one."

"Is it I who frightens you so, man-spawn? Or the fact that I am taguel?"

Anali held her hands up. "Neither! I-It's just… I thought you might not take kindly to me asking about your people. I know it was humans like me who killed them, so I thought…"

"Yes," Panne agreed with a slight nod. "Humans like you. But not you. You do not bear the blame for what was done, so do not bear the guilt. Guilt creates distance. If you would learn of my people, cast it aside."

"All right." Anali smiled. She took a seat across the table from Panne.

The taguel smirked slightly. "At least you are calm," she said. "Your heart has slowed."

"You can hear my heartbeat?"

"Lesson one; taguel have strong ears," Panne explained. "A heart's beat always betrays its owner."

Panne went on to explain that she was still rather young when her people were slaughtered, so she could not tell Anali the social norms of the taguel. Everything Anali would learn was from Panne's personal experience.

The taguel could change from beast to humanoid at will, but only if they had their Beaststone with them. Panne had hers with her at all times in the pouch around her waist. In Panne's case, she could transform into a large rabbit, in both forms she had a similar biology to common garden rabbits. "So does that mean you can't have potato's or rhubarb?" asked Anali.

"That is correct," nodded Panne.

"You said your kind are shape-shifters, do all taguel turn into rabbits?"

"No. There were others, far from here. Tribes of cat-wearers and bird-wearers."

"I would have loved to see that!" Anali said thoughtfully. "They must have been so cute and cuddly!" She froze upon realizing she said that out loud. "S-Sorry, I probably shouldn't call a race of proud warriors 'cute.'"

"They were not cute," Panne said, resting her chin into one hand. "At least, not like the rabbit-wearers are cute. But then, what is?"

It took Anali a moment to realize that Panne was trying to make a joke. "Did you ever meet these tribes yourself?" asked Anali.

"Long ago," Panne said through a sigh. "How they fare now, I do not know. Perhaps they shared the same bloody fate of my people…"

"I-I'm sorry, I didn't mean to…"

"No, there is no call for you to share in my gloom." Panne folded her hands over one another in front of her. "So, another question?"

Anali thought for a moment. How long had they been talking? From the lights that peeked through under the tent, Anali could see that the sun was beginning to set. "What do you like to eat?" she asked, finally.

"Taguel eat many things-"

"Oh, no," Anali cut her off. "I mean you, specifically. The split caused us to shift kitchen duty schedules, so I'm cooking tonight. I'll make whatever you want. Comfort food for bringing up sad thoughts."

Panne's brow rose. "You are…" her voice trailed as she searched for the right word. "Oddly kind."

"So, what'll it be?" Anali asked, rising to her feet. "Carrot soup?"

The taguel's brow rose once more. "How did you know?"

"Uh…" How was Anali supposed to explain that she was just joking?

Stay with the prince, Phila had told her, an order Cordelia intending on keeping. Yet, here she was, in a group separate from the prince. Okay, that wasn't fair. Separating the group into two was a good idea, and they specifically divided the group up so they would have one Pegasus Knight in each group.

And the other's left her alone with her thoughts since camp was set up. She appreciated that. Tomorrow, she would be in top form, but today, right now, Cordelia just needed time alone with her pegasus. And then the dinner bell rang. Even if Cordelia was not quite sure she could handle the Shepherd's camaraderie, she was starving.

So, giving her pegasus a healthy portion of feed, Cordelia made her way to the mess tent. Emerging from the men's tent, was a young man with orange hair. Gaius, if se wasn't mistaken, the thief who ultimately helped in the attack on the palace the previous night. Even though he was hired to kill the Exalt. However, he had earned Prince Chrom's trust, and therefore he would have Cordelia's.

Walking along side him, Cordelia couldn't help but wrinkle her nose. She could smell the perspiration coming off of him, and the grease in his hair almost lit up in what little light there was. Even his clothes were a little stained. Was Gaius really going to dinner like that? "Problem?" Gaius asked, pulling to a stop with his arms crossed over his chest.

Oh, damnation, he noticed her staring. "It's nothing," Cordelia said kindly. "Juuuust… don't you think it's a good idea to clean up before dinner?"

"Why?" Gaius asked in response. "I'm probably gonna spill something anyway. Why are you so interested? You fancy me or something?"

Cordelia told herself not to blush. She could tell Gaius was teasing, but still! "I was simply asking," she defended. "Perhaps you don't realize that you look and smell like the floor of a tavern!"

"Oh," Gaius uttered as he raised one eyebrow. "Haven't noticed, really."

Reaching over, Cordelia ran her fingers through Gaius' hair. Holding her hand up, she pointed at it with the opposite hand. "Look at that!" she exclaimed. "There's enough grease in your hair to fry an egg!"

"All right, all right," Gaius said dryly. "Message received. I'll clean up, Mother. After eating."

The thief tried to drown out Cordelia's instructions as they both walked into the mess tent where a pot of carrot soup, and a plate of sandwiches were waiting. At the table, the others were already seated and eating their sandwiches. Lon'qu was scolding Miriel for almost walking off the campgrounds while reading, Anali had jumped in surprise when Kellam complimented her sandwiches. Vaike seemed to be trying to quiz Ricken on how the boy would counter what attack. And then there was Panne, who happily ate carrot soup. The sight was a little bittersweet. But a sight Cordelia would have to adjust to if she was to stick around.

The red haired Pegasus Knight prepared herself a bowl of carrot soup, and an egg salad sandwich. Cordelia seated herself between Miriel and Vaike, and took a spoonful of soup. She grimaced at the taste. Was she correct in labeling it as carrot soup? It certainly did not taste like carrots… okay, there was a carroty aftertaste. This was more 'dishwater,' than 'vegetable.' No wonder the others were only eating the sandwiches.

Gaius, on the other hand, was more vocal about his distaste for the soup. His shoulder's shook, and he groaned as he swallowed. "Okay," Gaius said, dropping his spoon onto the table. "Who made this?"

All human eyes glanced at Anali, who slowly raised her hand. The poor girl's face was turning red, and her opposite hand began stirring her spoon around in her bowl. "You sure you made this with carrots?" Gaius asked, gesturing to his bowl.

"Yes," Anali replied. "Chopped them up myself."

"You had to have spilt something in here… kerosene maybe."

Huh, Cordelia could have sworn it was soap she was tasting.

Vaike nearly fell over laughing. "You think that's bad?" he asked. "You shoulda tried Anali's beef stew."

"It wasn't that bad!" cried Anali.

"If I'm not mistaken," Miriel spoke up. "The beef in said stew was terribly undercooked."

"And the stew was more of a porridge," added Kellam.

"What are you talking about?" Panne asked, looking up at the others with the most serious expression. "I cannot remember the last time I had carrot soup this wonderful."

Anali buried her face in her hands. "I'm sorry," she said, muffled through her hands. "I wanted to make you something after you- Wait, what?"

"Yes." Panne abandoned her spoon altogether and took the bowl into her hands. "This is probably the best meal I've had in ages. Is there more?"

Glances were exchanged. So, the only non-human at this table liked Anali's cooking. She was not quite sure how to feel about that. The sandwiches were eaten, and even with Panne's liking for Anali's soup, they still had a couple of bottles worth leftover.

Curfew was within an hour and a-half after dinner. And, while Gaius was not quite sure how he felt about it, Cordelia was onto something when she criticized the way Gaius presented himself. He wasn't about to say she was right, as Gaius always lived that way, and, well, why fix what wasn't broken? But it did make him consider one thing, if he was going to be sticking around with these folks for a while, why not take advantage of their perks?

Although Cordelia was right about one little thing; his hair was disgustingly greasy. And now, he had an easy way to remedy that. The bath tent was mixed, due to the Shepherds separation, but there was so few of them it was easy for the men to avoid peeping on those of the fairer sex on accident.

Gaius had gotten his bath ready with little problems. He had just finished lathering his hair and body, ready to rinse when he heard the high-pitched, "Eep!"

He looked over his shoulder to find a very red-faced Anali. Immediately, her hand covered her eyes, either to keep her from seeing anymore than she already had, or just to face palm. "Sorry, sorry, sorry!" she muttered furiously as she walked backwards, out of the tent. "Sorry-sorry-sorry-sorry!"

And she was gone just as quickly as she entered. Well that happened. Okay, so maybe one bathing tent with so few people wasn't a good idea; but Gaius did not mind that much. It was an accident, accidents happened. And Anali was hardly the kind of person to intentionally peek, going by the look on her face when Chrom teased her earlier that day. Anali was most definitely the type to get flustered easily.

While Gaius was able to clean his hair and birthday suit, there wasn't much he could do about his clothing. He only had one pair. But, they were in the early days of war, so perhaps Gaius could get away with the 'ruggedly handsome' look.

Gaius was double-checking his pockets as he exited the tent, fully dressed, making sure his candy supply was safe and sound. Satisfied, he looked up to find Anali standing just outside the bathing tent. Had she been waiting there since she left? "Gaius, I am so sorry about that!" she said immediately. Her face still bore the blush she had on earlier. "I swear, I didn't know you where in there already…"

"Aw, no worries." Gaius waved it off. As far as he was concerned the issue was over and done with. "At least I had my back to you, eh? But, uh, I'd would like to assure you I am in pretty good shape. A real piece of eye candy. Belly like a washboard, glutes like a lumberjac-"

"OKAY!" Anali clapped her hands together as she put on a very forced smile. "I will take your word for it." Her brow knitted together as she laced her fingers, minus the index ones. "Although, I did notice something… and it does have me a little concerned. That tattoo on your arm… I saw five numbers… It's the one they use to mark convicted criminals, isn't it? I mean I've heard about it, but never actually saw one…"

"Yeah." Gaius shrugged with one shoulder. "Got caught once doing a favor for a mate. Paid the price. Pretty straight forward." He winced slightly as though he just remembered something. "Though I'd appreciate it if you kept that little nugget under your cap, Bubbles."

Crossing her arms, Anali smiled slightly. "Don't wor- Did you just call me Bubbles?" she asked. Quickly, she shook her head. "Never mind. I won't tell any-"

"You'll tell everyone, you say?" Gaius cut her off; he placed his hands on his hips. "So it's to be blackmail, is it?"

"I literally said nothing of the sort."

"Fine then. I can understand taking an opportunity to line your pockets."

"Oh, do you?"

"You can have my portion of dinner tomorrow night, okay? Will that slake your greed for now?!"

"One helping is already more than enough, thanks," Anali said holding her hands out in front of her. "And I already said I'm not blackma-"

"You drive a hard bargain, Bubbles," Gaius said, reaching one arm behind his back. "Very well. Take this custard pie!"

In a flash, and with a flutter of his cloak, Gaius whipped out a perfectly intact chocolate custard pie. "I'm more concerned about where you were keeping that!" exclaimed Anali.

"If you 're looking for ransom, I can assure you I don't have any money."

"Gaius…"

"But what I do have are a very particular set of honey cakes…"

"I already said I'd keep your damned secret!" Anali said, turning on her heel. "I just came to apologize so I could sleep with a clear conscience, not to make some one-sided negotiations."

But Gaius kept following her around camp, offering her chocolate to 'put her in a better mood,' until she announced for lights out.

They knew.

They knew Emmeryn was supposed to be leaving, and they knew the Shepherds would not be in Ylisstol either way. Even if Captain Phila knew about the attack, thanks to Cordelia, they were vastly outnumbered, and Regan was still a trainee, she never experienced real battle before. Maybe that was why Captain Phila ordered her to ready the horses and pegasi instead of readying a weapon.

But she could not just wait around after that. So, Regan grabbed herself a lance, and started fighting against Plegian forces on foot. She wanted to defend Lady Emmeryn, that was why she became a Pegasus Knight in the first place, despite going against the wishes of her grandfather. The last conflict with Plegia left her grandfather so bitter towards the royal family Regan had hardly spoken with him since she first left home. Her mother was a little more understanding, however she wasn't pleased at first either, since the last war took Regan's father from her when she was but a babe.

Regan charged in, her lance at the ready, skewering it through as many Plegian units as she could. The Mages and Archers were the easy ones, they usually attacked from a safe distance. Regan did not come across any trouble until she stupidly thought she could battle against a Warrior.

She was playing on the defense, using her lance to block the man's axe each time he brought it down. But each strike took a toll on Regan's only means of defense. There was a crack beginning to form, and it was steadily growing. She needed to think of something, fast.

The Warrior brought his axe down once more, blocked by Regan's lance. That was it. The lance split in two. Quickly, Regan slipped to the side, dodging the second attack, she quickly plunged half of the lance, the half that could actually do damage, into the man's side. He shouted a profanity before he swung his axe forward, cutting into Regan's side. The Warrior grabbed Regan by her tunic, and slammed her back into the wall.

Gods, please let it be swift.

The Warrior suddenly released her, and Regan slid onto the floor. His eyes almost budged out of his skull, blood slowly seeped out of his mouth. He slumped over, revealing Phila, her own lance at her side, standing behind him.

"Captain!" Regan gasped.

Phila looked a little worse for wear. Her bun was beginning to come undone, there was a thin cut on her cheek, and a bruise forming around her eye. Wordlessly, Phila grabbed Regan by the arm and pulled her foreword. Things must have been worse off than Regan originally thought. Why wasn't Phila with Lady Emmeryn?

"Regan, you need to get out of here, that's an order!" Phila instructed her. "Go to Regna Ferox, inform the Prince and the Khans about what's happened."

"But Captain!"

"Don't argue, just do it! Take one of the training pagasi and fly straight to Ferox, tell them Ylisstol has fallen."

"Captain…"

With one last, "Go!" Phila shoved Regan down the hall. She ran, with her thoughts running even faster. Was this right? Was it right to just run while the rest of Ylisstol was thrown into chaos? She heard about the squad at the border, how only one had survived because the others encouraged her to flee. Was this the same thing?

Why were the gods being so cruel now?

Elaine was never much of a fighter, she always had a healing touch. So she felt downright useless right now. Ylissean soldiers needed more manpower, not a healer who did not even have her supplies on her. So Elaine just ran across the palace, like the village idiot, trying to find a healing staff, some potions or vulnerary, anything.

Her boots squeaked against the floor when Elaine pulled to a sudden stop. The thin light of the slightly open door caught her attention. If she remembered correctly, it was a suite usually reserved for political guests, finely furnished, and a shelf packed with books. Slowly, Elaine approached the door, and peeked inside.

Four people stood inside, Lady Emmeryn, the Hierarch Traino, and, surprisingly enough, King Gangrel, and one of his soldiers. If Lady Emmeryn was afraid, she hid it well. So did Traino. Should Elaine find someone? Where was Phila?

"Oooh! I just love this kind of irony!" Gangrel said clapping his hands together. "The one to bring down House Ylisse was one of their most trusted allies! It's the oldest trick in the book, but so satisfying to watch a persons faith be utterly shattered!"

What?

That was enough to break Emmeryn's stony expression. Bowing her head slightly, Emmeryn squeezed her eyes shut. With her brow furrowed together, Elaine would have sworn Emmeryn had started crying. "Traino…" she whispered.

In a flash, the Hierarch struck Lady Emmeryn across her face. Elaine had to cover her mouth to keep herself from gasping. Emmeryn simply held her face, soothing the stinging skin, and straighten herself up. The hurt on her face was obvious, and it was not from the physical pain of Traino's strike. "Fifteen years!" Traino growled through his teeth. "Fifteen years of waiting! Waiting for this moment, waiting for the end of House Ylisse!"

"But why?" was all Emmeryn could ask. "You were a dear friend, Traino. A part of the family."

"And what about my family?!" Traino roared. His eyes could have caught fire in that moment of rage. "I should be living on the countryside with my wife, spoiling our grandchildren by now. I should never have outlived my sons!"

Stepping back, Traino removed his glasses, and whipped his eyes with his sleeve. "And yet I have," he muttered, placing his glasses back on. "And for what, exactly?"

Emmeryn allowed the tears to flow out of her eyes. It was no secret that Traino was a widower, and that he lost both of his sons in the war fifteen years ago. And Emmeryn had always thought that they were his reason for aiding House Ylisse all these years. To prevent history from repeating itself; to have their deaths mean something. "I had no idea your pain ran so deep," Emmeryn said softly. "I am sorry for not noticing."

"And there it is," Gangrel said tossing his arm forward. "The oh-so fragile bleeding heart of yours. We'll see how much it bleeds in front of the thousands!"

No!

"So long as I get a front row seat," said Traino.

"Pah!" Gangrel spat, glaring at Ylisse's former Hierarch. "You say that after the little stunt last night? You'll be lucky if you're even there to witness the event."

Traino glared in return. "I made it clear a long time ago that I work with anyone who ends the royal line. So why are you surprised?"

Elaine screamed when she felt someone grab her roughly by the arm and forced it behind her back. The attacker swung the door open. "Sire," the soldier declared, "got yourself a little spy."

She heard Lady Emmeryn gasp her name as Elaine struggled against her captors grip. Grinning, Gangrel crossed his arms over his chest. "Well, you know what we like to do with spies. I always thought medics should know when to keep their noses out of people business."

Instantly, Emmeryn whipped around and yanked a red book off the shelf. Traino shouted for someone to stop her, but Lady Emmeryn already snapped the book open. "Did you think we wouldn't stash tomes where we could?" asked Emmeryn.

She extended her hand, red ruins appeared around the tip of her fingers. A ball of fire shot forward, straight at Elaine's captor. The fire landed in front of the door-frame. Not close enough to burn either the soldier or Elaine, but enough to startle them both. "Elaine, run!" shouted Emmeryn. "Go! Save yourself!"

Elaine had just enough time to see Traino rip the tome from Lady Emmeryn's hands before he struck her again her again. Elaine ran, feeling like a dog with her tail between her legs all the while. "Don't just stand there, you idiot!" she heard King Gangrel bark. "Get her! And I want no survivors tonight!"

She allowed the tears to slip out of her eyes. This was far beyond Elaine's comfort zone and expertise. Hadn't someone instructed her on what to do in a situation like this? Of course they had to, but Elaine could not remember. Did it matter anymore? It was a hopeless situation. Maybe she should go to Regna Ferox, inform the Prince and Princess about what's happened.

It may have very well been a suicide mission, but it was something. Desperately, Elaine tried to map out an exit route in her mind. If she could make it to the garrison, if she could make it to the stable, there had to be at least one horse she could use. One horse that could carry her to Ferox.

Elaine almost tripped halfway down the flight of stairs. She caught herself at the foot of the flight, but she still ended up on her knees. "Elaine!" she heard.

Regan ran up to her, and helped her onto her feet. Immediately, Elaine threw herself over Regan, allowing a few sobs to escape. Briefly, Regan rubbed her back, then held her at arms length. "We have to go," Regan said curtly. "I'm headed to Regna Ferox, come with me, we'll go together."

Drying her eyes with the heel of her hand, Elaine nodded. She liked this better than her original idea, at least now there was someone with her.

Regan lead the way to the stables, where they kept the young horses. The horses that were assigned to trainees, given they did not already have one. They trained along side their riders. Quickly, Regan readied her own pegasus, not bothering with the saddle. Regan lead the stallion out of the stable and helped Elaine on behind her. She nudged the pegasus with her heel, he galloped for a few moments before he unfurled his wings, and flapped, taking off into the night air.

Elaine looked over her shoulder, there were fires coming from the palace, and the village. Cries echoed in the air. It was awful. How many people were dying right now. Then Elaine could see three dark figures soar into the air, followed by three glimmers of light that traveled on foot. Of course they were. Gangrel said no survivors, she heard it herself.

Two pegasus riders were ganging up on them, one of them carried a tome in their hands. Keeping her eyes on the pair, the rider opened her tome. "Regan!" Elaine shrieked without thinking.

Regan looked over her shoulder to see the Elfire spell hurtling in their direction. Quickly, Regan forced her Pegasus to turn around, and she took the full force of the spell. Elaine's mouth opened to scream, but no sound came out. Regan, bless her, somehow hung in there, Elaine knew arrows and magic were the strongest against flying mounts, especially wind magic. So maybe it was a blessing that this rider used fire.

That was what Elaine thought, until the second rider threw her javelin. It embedded itself between Regan's chest and solar plexus. Her eyes rolled back in her head, then Regan slumped off her Pegasus. Elaine grabbed onto her friends arm, and plummeted with her. Icy wind bit at Elaine's cheeks; she wrapped her arms around Regan, holding her close to her body. But she was forced to let go when they landed.

Elaine's side cried out in pain, but, miraculously, nothing was broken. She would be soar, no doubt, but it was better than the alternative of broken or dead. Maybe she and Regan would have a good laugh about this later.

Regan!

Elaine forced herself onto her hands and knees. Regan laid a few feet beside her; Elaine could see blood pooling out around her. Quickly, Elaine crawled to Regan's side. She collected Regan's upper body into her arms, and shook her lightly. "Regan," Elaine said, her voice shaking. "Regan… Regan come on… We gotta go…"

She was fooling herself, she knew that. The javelin was still protruding out of Regan's body, her arms were burned, and she was already wounded before they even set out. There was a blood stain around the wound, and blood that spilled out of her mouth. Elaine was pretty sure Regan was not breathing anymore. She was probably gone before they hit the ground.

Elaine's shoulders shook; she hugged Regan's body close to her, praying that she would just wake up from this awful nightmare. She hiccupped on a few sobs as the tears flowed freely down her cheeks.

Her eyes snapped open when she heard voices in the near-distance. It was the three others that were following on foot. The assassins were sprinting in her direction. Still. They were still after them, even after Regan had been shot out of the sky.

Of course they were. They were checking for stragglers.

An arrow whizzed out of the trees, striking one of the Assassins in the temple. The man stopped, abruptly, fell to his knees, and keeled over dead. One of the remaining two shouted, "Show yourself!"

He got his wish as a fourth Assassin leapt out of the trees. He was dressed similarly to the others, an Assassin in Plegia colors. The biggest difference was the mask that covered the lower half of his face. He dodged the oncoming sword from one of the remaining two, and kneed him in the gut. The masked man pulled out his sword, and plunged it into the back as the other Assassin was bent over double.

The final one was not about to go down without a fight. He crossed swords with Elaine's…. Savior? Murderer? He tried a similar trick as the masked man, by kneeing him in the gut. The masked man bent over, gripping his stomach with one hand. In a flash he threw his head up, hitting the last Assassin in the nose as he bent over to stab him.

He must have broken it, considering the blood that flowed out. That was when the masked man pushed his sword into his opponents foot. The opponent screamed, which was cut off when the masked man punched his opponent in the throat. Then the masked man pulled his sword out from both, the ground, and his opponents foot, and thrusted it into his gut. Pulling it back out, the masked man swiped his sword through the air once, ridding it of blood, and slid it back into it's sheath, seemingly unaware that the opposing assassin fell over dead.

He turned his head to Elaine, who held onto Regan. "Don't come any closer!" she forced out.

Silently, the masked man walked up to Elaine and, as gently as possible, forced her to let go of Regan. "Come on," he said as he did. "We need to get you to Ferox."

Elaine was not quite sure why she followed when the masked man pulled her onto her feet. Or why she followed him a few miles on foot to a horse he had tied to a tree. The masked man helped Elaine onto the horse, before he went to untie it and mount the beast himself. Behind his mask, he clicked his tongue and the horse took off into a gallop.

Wrapping her arms around the masked man, Elaine sobbed into his back.

By the time Anali and the others arrived at Regna Ferox, Chrom's group had been there for at least two hours. Raimi met them at the border, and, having already been informed that the Shepherds had split into two, escorted them to castle Ferox. Not counting Raimi, the first person Anali saw was Frederick, who requested to know the details after they parted. "Not much," Anali replied with a shrug. "Yesterday was smooth, this morning we came across a horde of Risen, but we managed to sneak by. Helped a merchant when her wagon lost a wheel, and then we arrived here."

What Anali didn't include was the fact that they bought something from the merchant. At first she mistook her as the merchant who sold Anali her ocarina. She looked just like that one merchant. Same face, same red hair, same eyes. But the merchant claimed that it must have been her sister.

"What about you?" Anali asked Frederick. "Are Chrom and Lissa okay?"

"As they can be," Frederick said through a sigh. "To her credit, milady tried to distract herself a with little needlework with Lady Maribelle last night. It worked, to a point."

"And Chrom?"

"Milord should not do any training when distracted. Our half of the armory has taken some heavy damage."

Anali's brow knitted together, she tried to decide if Frederick was joking or not. "Lady Sumia was able to cheer him up a little with the dinner she made, however," Frederick finished, seemingly oblivious to Anali's expression.

"Aw, it would've been her turn for kitchen duty last night?" Anali asked disappointed.

Sumia's pies, for meals proper, or dessert are semi-famous amongst the Shepherds. What had she made last night; a meat pie or her little potato, beef and corn concoction? "Um…" she fiddled with a tendril of hair that fell over her shoulder. "Where is Chrom and Flavia? I should discuss strategy with them."

"Milord is inside waiting for you. Shall I-"

"No thanks, I can find my way, I'm sure."

Anali half-jogged her way through the castle. Once more, she found herself longing for the warmth of Ylisstol palace. It may have reflected Feroxi culture, and stood against the elements, but it seemed so barren. Like a prison more than a home.

"Anali!" she heard.

Before she could react, Sumia barreled into her, jumping into an embrace. Or maybe she tripped somewhere down the road. "You're okay?" Sumia asked when she pulled apart. "No problems?"

Anali shrugged. "We helped a merchant with her wagon, but other than that it was pretty standard. I was looking for Chrom and Flavia."

"I don't know about Khan Flavia," Sumia said, taking Anali by the hand. "But I do know where Chrom and Lissa are."

She allowed Sumia to lead her down the hall to a large room with long tables lined up neatly. It was probably a mess hall of sorts, probably used for celebrations. Lissa was looking up at Chrom, her eyes wide, but not quite crying. Anali thought she was pacing around the room just before they came in. "We'll make it home before anything happens, right?" she asked him. "Right?"

Sumia looked over her shoulder at Anali. The message was clear, they had not received any news from Ylisstol yet. Poor Lissa, not knowing what was going on must have drove her crazy. Of course she tried to distract herself last night. "Chrom?" Lissa asked when her brother did not answer. Both Anali and Sumia stood beside the princess. "Say something! Like, 'Yes, of course we will!'"

It was a little funny when Lissa said that, as she was trying to mimic Chrom's voice, if not for the situation. And the fact that Chrom seemed lost in his own head. "I'm sorry, what?" he asked, coming, somewhat, out of his stupor. "Did you say something, Lissa?"

Groaning, Lissa angrily crossed her arms. "Never mind!" she snapped. "Let me know when you get out of your own head for a second!"

Grimacing slightly, Chrom glanced to the side. With a furrowed brow, Sumia strode up to the prince. "Snap out of it Captain!" she exclaimed.

Then she punched him.

In the face.

Anali's hands slapped themselves over her mouth to keep herself from laughing. She had no idea where that had come from, it being Sumia, but it was so out of character, it was downright funny. Oh, gods, Sumia was still in her armor, so she still had her gauntlets on! Chrom gripped the side of his face where Sumia had hit him. "What the hell was that for?!" he exclaimed, his voice almost hitting a falsetto.

"Oh no!" Sumia gasped. She held her hands just inches away from her face. "Did I do it wrong? Captain Phila says that a good slap can break people out of their doldrums."

"Yeah, a slap," said Lissa. "When you slap someone, it's with an open palm."

"You just punched Chrom in the face!" Anali said through her laughter.

Sumia's brown eyes widened as she blushed. "Um… It's the thought that counts?"

"Gods," Chrom spat out, "that seriously hurt…"

"What's wrong, my dear prince?" said Flavia. Apparently the Khan had seen the whole thing, and was just making herself known. "Sometimes love hurts. You're lucky to have strong women like these, and not just dainty flowers about."

With a broad smile, Flavia crossed her arms over her chest, and leaned to the side slightly. "In any case," she continued. "I bring good news. The Feroxi army has finally mobilized. Every last man is itching for a fight. I must say, I'm looking forward to savoring a skirmish or two myself."

Chrom was staring at Flavia as though she had just turned purple. "Wait, you're coming along?" he asked.

"Of course! A Khan must have her fun. I'm even bringing my insignificant other."

Blinking, Anali played the phrase over in her head a couple of times. "Your who?" she asked finally.

"Basilio," answered Flavia. She shrugged as she continued, "Oaf isn't good for much, but he might stop a few stray arrows."

"Khan Flavia," said a new voice. A Feroxi soldier stood in the doorway of the room. "Khan Basilio sent me, he's in the main hall. We've received news from Ylisstol."

Lissa looked like she was both joyful and terrified. "Right," Flavia gave a curt nod. "We'll be right there."

"Sumia," Chrom spoke up, turning to the Pegasus Knight. "Can you tell Frederick that we just received news, and we'll be with him shortly."

"Of course, Captain!" Sumia said, giving Chrom a salute.

She slipped by Flavia and disappeared behind the door. Lissa half-jogged behind Flavia while Anali walked beside Chrom. She still had a slight smile on her face after Sumia's little punch. "It's not funny, Anali," she heard Chrom said, just low enough for her to hear him.

"Coming from Sumia, yeah, it's kinda funny," Anali replied. She could almost hear the smirk on Chrom's lips.

In the main hall stood Khan Basilio, with a shorter figure at his side. As they walked closer, Anali could see that the figure had on a thick cloak, but she could see the short sandy colored hair, and green eyes. "Elaine?!" gasped Anali.

"Chrom," Basilio said as soon as he saw the group. "Good gods, I've been looking everywhere for you!"

"Is something wrong?" asked Chrom.

Basilio placed a hand on Elaine's shoulder, but she hardly seemed to notice or care. "We found this lass outside the border, came all the way from Ylisstol with some bloke in a mask," he explained. He shook his head slightly. "She brings some dark news, I'm afraid. Ylisstol has fallen."

Lissa's hands flew to her mouth. "What?!"

"Your Hierarch's been feeding Plegia information, they knew you wouldn't be there when they captured your Exalt. Gangrel has declared she's to be publicly executed."

"E-Executed?!" Chrom repeated.

Lissa let out the weakest gasp before she fell backwards into a dead faint. "Whoa, Lissa!" Anali gasped, catching her by the shoulders.

"You're sure about this?" asked Chrom.

"I heard it myself," Elaine said, her voice shaking. Fresh tears were beginning to pool up in her eyes.

Flavia scoffed, "Dastard's not even trying to be subtle anymore."

"Agreed," said Anali. "It's an obvious trap."

Basilio nodded briefly in agreement. "We should consider our options carefully before jumping to any-"

"We're marching to Plegia!" Chrom shouted, cutting off Basilio.

"Yes," the Khan said, clearing his throat. "Well, that would be one option. But perhaps we've seen enough royalty getting themselves into trouble for one war, eh?"

"I don't care if it's a trap!" snapped Chrom. Venom dripped from his words. "He's going to murder my sister!"

Elaine's body trembled from under the cloak. She hiccupped on a few quiet sobs. Anali bit her lip, what Elaine had to have gone through to get here. And then there was Chrom. He was acting less like the leader of a militia, and more like a desperate brother. "Peace, Chrom. Breathe a moment," Flavia said calmly, with one hand on his shoulder. "No one's saying we don't act. We're simply saying we should act wisely. We'll need guts and wits in equal measure if we're to save your sister."

"The Khans are right," Anali said under her breath. She spoke again, louder this time, "I'll think of something, Chrom. I promise."

Chrom's shoulders relaxed at this. "All right, Anali," he said slowly. "I'll leave it to you."

"Are you certain you're up for the task, Anali?" Flavia asked her. "It won't be easy. You hold the Exalt's life in one hand, and all of ours in the other."

She knew that. This will be the true test of her abilities, really. This was something that Anali could not, under any circumstances, screw up on. If something went wrong, not only would it cost the Exalt her life, but Chrom and Lissa would loose their sister. And, possibly their own lives well. "I-It's not a responsibility I take lightly," Anali said, hoping her voice wasn't shaking. If she was afraid already, how could her plans work? "But I am equal to the challenge."

Flavia's shoulders shook as she laughed. "You've got stones, at least," she said, clapping Anali on the back, prompting a strained 'ow,' from her. "I like that!"

"No hesitation, no mincing words," Basilio said thoughtfully. A broad smile slowly appeared on his face as he spoke, "She's either a genius or a fool! I suppose we'll find out once we march."

Anali willed her expression to harden as the wheels in her head began to turn. No stone could go unturned, and if she could help it, nothing would.

Authors Note: So, I woke up this morning to find the trailer for a new Fire Emblem game. Therefore to celebrate, here's a second chapter this week. This is going to totally throw off my schedule, but…

There's actually a bit I want to say about Traino, but it's almost a pages worth, so I'll post it on tumblr. I just always hesitated to call him an OC because I just expanded on an element was already there. In the game the Hierarch pretty much fell out of the sky, and he disappeared as quickly as he came.

Also, I realize that if I wanted to be clever, Elaine, the one we've seen more than Regan, would have been the one to die. But, since I made Regan a Pegasus Knight she would've been Cordelia 2.0. Even with Elaine she does pose a bit of a risk of being too much like Cordelia. But, really, I only made Regan so I could get Elaine out of Ylisstol.

There are a couple of links on my homepage to images of Anali and Elaine if anyone's interested.

Reminder about my tumblr blog sammiewritesstuff, where I'll be happy to answer any question, and eventually post tidbits, updates, and other goodies.