Yah, sorry about the delay. Life got complicated for a while. Next Chapter should feature Donny in it, and then we're off to Regna Ferox.

Journal Entry #8

Well, the Ylissean-Plegian war is definitely heating up. Last night, we had to stop an assassination attempt on Emmeryn. We were warned beforehand, so it could have been much worse, but it was still an unpleasant experience. It felt even worse after Chrom finally told me what was bothering him a few minutes before it started. After another day of waiting around in the Barracks, I grew tired of everyone's nervous pacing and time killing and decided to go find Chrom and get some information out of him. He still hadn't shown his face outside of the castle, and it was starting to look like he was trying to actively avoid us all now. It was time he stopped moping about whatever he was stuck on. It was dark when I found him, wandering the castle's borders in deep thought. He barely noticed me approaching until I spoke up. I asked him what he was doing so late, and he said he was just thinking. (If it took him two days to think, I can definitely see why he made me Tactician. Not that I was planning on saying that to him.) He mentioned our nearing trip back to Regna Ferox, but then he launched into a story about what really happened during Ylisse's last war with Plegia.

So apparently, Gangrel was not entirely wrong with his reasoning. Chrom's father did start a long war with Plegia years ago, when he was Exalt. It was a violent and costly war that was paid with the lives of many on both sides. Ylisse suffered greatly from it until he died fifteen years ago, all the able bodied citizens sent to fight on the front lines, and almost all of Ylisse's resources drained to nothing. It was a wonder that the Halidom was still in a single piece afterwards. To think that Chrom, Emmeryn and Lissa had to deal with the aftermath of such a huge thing. Lady Emmeryn literally became Exalt at the age of ten, and had to fix such a broken kingdom. Plegia was raging for blood, and her own citizens wanted revenge for their pain. Neither were very forgiving (some people even insulted and threw things at her), but she still managed to bring peace back. After hearing that, I could see why Chrom was taking this all so hard. After seeing soemone struggle so hard to accomplish something, it would be sickening to watchi it all fall to pieces again in a single moment. He wants to fight to protect the peace she created, but now he believes he's failed her. I'd want Gangrel dead after that too.

And then Marth showed up (it's like every other fight we get into, Marth's involved somehow.) anyway, Marth snuck into the castle to warn us of the assassination, claiming to know of future events. That literally blew about half of my theories on her identity out of the water. Must I always be wrong about people? At least I was correct about her being a woman... Anyway, Marth claimed that she knew there would be an attempt on Emmeryn's life tonight, and she immediately proved her accuracy by killing a would-be Assassin hiding in the bushes that was after Chrom. We believed her immediately, but then an unexpected second Assassin came out and almost sliced her open (guess she didn't predict that one). Chrom killed him quickly, but not before Marth's mask was destroyed, showing her entire face for the both of us to see.

A large explosion rocked the castle, and we ran inside to see what was going on. As Marth claimed, we were being attacked by Plegian soldiers that somehow slipped past the guards. All the castle's lights had been snuffed out, and it was nearly pitch black, but we could still hear the sounds of battle near the main entrance. The Ylissean guard could only hold out for so long before their line was broken, leaving the Exalt vulnerable. Emmeryn told Chrom and Lissa to flee, but they refused to leave her to die. We had very little time to get ready before the assassins would be on us. The rest of the Shepherds gathered, and I started to form a strategy.

One of Phila's Pegasus Knights informed me of the rough number of enemies that had made it into the castle, and that their leader was trailing behind the main force. There was more variation in this group than the ones in the last battle, and over double as many men as our own. There were Thieves, Fighters, Dark Mages, and even a squad of Cavaliers that managed to get in. We would have to take advantage of the narrow hallways to stop from being overwhelmed by sheer force. I sent Miriel, Frederick, Kellam, and Lissa outside to help the Pegasus Knights repel any reinforcements that could possibly come, and kept the others for the inner defense. Marth also stayed with us, taking it upon herself to guard one of the central halls leading to Emmeryn. Her sword did this weird glowing thing, but she refused to tell us what it meant. (Another possible clue to her identity, maybe?) Anyway, we would concentrate our protection on the left corrider, the only other way to get to Emmeryn. After we weathered the storm of soldiers, we would go after their commander. Plan decided upon, we got into position.

The enemy fell on us like waves, one replacing another as soon as they were killed. We struggled to keep control of the small area we had claimed in the castle's back, using the doorways as chokepoints to limit their mobility. THe darkness was even more of a disadvantage making it harder to see someone coming. Chrom, Sully, and Ricken handled the far left doors, with Virion firing away from behind the safely of the wall. They were handling their end pretty well, and Chrom even found a sympathetic Theif in the enemy ranks who was wiling to join. (He wanted CANDY of all things. Who wants to get paid in sweets?) Stahl, Vaike, Mirabelle, and myself were having a rougher time towards the east wing. Once the Cavaliers got to us, we were forced to retreat to Chrom's end to avoid being swarmed to death. Once we had regrouped, I helped Marth drive them off with my tome while the Stahl and Vaike helped Sumia and Lon'qu control the middle hall. We were relieved by yet another ally joining us, a strange woman named Panne. Marth swore she was on our side, and she proved it by fighting alongside us...after turning into a giant killer rabbit. (I will never understand the concept of a Taguel...) The rest of the battle went slow, but surprisingly smooth once Stahl and Vaike were finally able to hold the line against the now weakened enemies. They finally stopped coming after what felt like hours. Thinking we had won, we retreated further within the castle to heal our wounds. And then Validar came.

He was a tall man, with dark skin and hair that stuck out in a cylinder shape. His eyes were sharp and almost inhuman, and he wore a dark Sorceror's cloak. He must have moved closer during the fight, staying outside of our notice until he was right upon us. We all rushed to keep him from Emmeryn, but when I got within his sight, he gave me the most disturbing smile I had ever seen. He said he knew me, and that if I gave in to him, I would get the truth. I froze up, his words catching my interest for a moment. Was he involved in how I ended up in that field with no memory? Before I could say anything to him in response, Virion shot him with an arrow, forcing me to come down to earth again. Validar turned and yelled at him for his interference before summoning his dark magic to attack, only to be forcefully cut off by Chrom's blade stabbing into him. Sully rode in and finished him off for good, and he sort of melted into smoke, like he wasn't even human.

After the battle was completely over and the rest of the assassins were driven off, everyone regrouped. Emmeryn was uninjured and well, so I guess we were sucessful in defying destiny. Marth had mysteriously disappeared again, and Chrom ran off to find her, leaving the rest of us alone with our rabbit friend. Panne's "warren" owed Ylisse a debt, and that was the only reason she helped us. Humans had been the ones to hunt and kill her entire family, and she was still bitter over it. Emmeryn apologized for her loss even though it had nothing to do with her at all, sypthasizing with her plight. Panne seemed to take it to heart, so maybe she'll stick around with us longer.

Later that night, Chrom, Phila, Frederick, and Emmeryn discussed our next move. We were to escort Emmeryn to a safer location in eastern Ylisse to throw off any other attempts to harm her, and then we would continue to Regna Ferox as planned. Chrom wants us to do one last patrol around southern Ylisse before we leave, just in case the Plegians tried an invasion.

So yeah, we now have two new Shepherds. Gaius the Theif and Panne the Taguel.

Gaius kinda looked kinda bored most of the time, except when sugar was involved. He always had candy stored in one of his pockets or in his cloak or behind his ears (or in his mouth). He had bright orange hair and wore a headband all the time.

Panne was almost feral in a way. She talked and pretty much acted perfectly human, except she was furry in places, didn't wear a ton of clothing, and had two rabbit ears. You could forget she was a Taguel for a few momoents until you saw her transform with her Beaststone. I've never read about anyone capable of doing something like that in my books, so I kinda want to study her more in action. (not sure how well she'd take that though...)

At least Chrom seems to have recovered from his super anti-social behavior. (If I wasn't allowed to sulk around the castle deep in thought, then neither is he! Gods, our relationship is weird...) Now that we have something to actively do, everyone feels a little more certain in themselves. I could finally put myself to use and start studying Plegia's military power and possible counters to it. I raided the library again and now I have another huge stack of books. I say another because Sumia also got me a stack of fiction books. She found them in a crate on the side of the road or something. Who in their right mind would throw out books? So I got suckered into reading a few of those in my "spare time". At least I'm learning some Ylissean culture this way. (or am I relearning it?)

I'm still thinking about what that Validar guy said. what if he really did know who I was? What if my only lead to my identity was now disintegrated? Would I ever figure out what happened to me? It's been at least a month already, and I've remembered nothing about my past other than my first name. I'm starting to think I'll never regain my memories...but was that actually a bad thing? What was I like before I forgot everything?

Well, we have a long march to the southern islands of Ylisse, so I really should sleep. As soon as I finish this book on Wyvern Wars...Just a few more pages for the night...

Lost Again,

Aly