Chapter 54
Nordenheim
"Well, this is it, General," Phila said quietly next to Walter. "Your new home."
"Our new home," Walter corrected, causing Phila to blush, "or it shall be once we are married."
It was the beginning of the new year and the dead of winter as Walter finally took his first steps into his Duchy. He had decided at the start of winter that he would be moving his operations to Nordenheim; he was beginning to feel trapped within the capital, and things were no longer quite so urgent that he needed to be there. So, after he'd overseen the first graduation ceremony of the Officer's Candidate School, he had left for his new home. It was directly east of Dornheim, making him neighbors with Rickard in a sense, and he quickly decided he enjoyed his new home. The Duchy of Nordenheim was also highly reminiscent of Ecclesia; the same bracing chill in the air, the same tall, strong evergreens, the same smell of pine and earth, and the same view of mountains in the distance…yes, he would be quite comfortable here. At the moment, he sat atop his horse on a hill overlooking the titular capital of Nordenheim; a modest, but thriving city, already hustling and bustling in the dull winter morning light. He saw Castle Nordenheim, his actual home, sitting atop the tallest hill in the city; it was a small little castle, barely even a fort if Walter was being honest, but with the central, raised location, it looked highly defensible.
"It feels strange that we will not be working with Rickard on a daily basis anymore," Phila muttered wistfully. "I have become accustomed to his presence, and I worry for him. After he graduates from the Officer's Candidate School, he'll be returning to Dornheim to take command of his Father's division alone. He's too young for all of this."
"He has his own responsibilities," Walter reminded her. "He cannot lead his Duchy from the capital, or even from here, which is part of the reason we're coming here ourselves. I have faith that he is ready for the responsibility." Phila still didn't look convinced, still worried. "Besides, if his last letter is any indication, he will not be alone for long…"
"What do you mean?" Phila asked curiously.
"He mentioned that he was getting along rather famously with Duchess Grant's younger sister at the Officer's School," Walter said with a chuckle, and Phila's eyes widened in surprise. "In fact, when last I spoke to him, before we left Ylisstol, I learned more of her own affairs than his. I have little doubt we'll be receiving a letter in short order of yet another engagement." Walter chuckled at that, and of the thought that practically all of the Shepherds were now married or preparing to be married; Virion, Robin, and Kellam were the only ones he could think of who were not.
"By Naga, are you serious?" Phila asked incredulously. Walter nodded, and she laughed joyously. "I'm quite happy for him," she said with a warm smile. "Jessica is a sweet girl, practically the opposite of her sister Isabelle, I'm sure he'll be happy with her."
"Of that, I have no doubt," Walter responded, reaching over and squeezing Phila's hand. "Come now; let us go to our new home." They then set off toward Nordenheim at a casual pace.
Walter looked around in approval as he marched through the streets, his hood's cloak drawn and armor concealed beneath it to avoid attention. He wished to get his first impression of the city when people weren't scrambling over themselves to pay homage. The city was clearly well off; his steward, Seth, had apparently taken his duties rather seriously in ensuring that the city was thriving. He had yet to meet the man, but already had a good impression of his competence. There were hundreds of people flitting about, trading and interacting, the usual hubbub of the city that Walter was so accustomed to. The guard rotations were quite satisfactory as well; if anybody were to attempt to commit a crime here, they would pay swiftly and most dearly.
They arrived at Castle Nordenheim perhaps ten minutes after entering the city, and upon identifying who he was, the guards immediately allowed them to enter. They dismounted, a stableman taking their horses for them, and walked up to the front door of the Castle proper.
When they opened it, they were greeted by a man several years older than either of them with salt and pepper hair and a thin moustache and goatee, wearing a fine blue tunic and black boots polished to an immaculate sheen. He was standing professionally with his arms behind his back, and cleared his throat as they drew near.
"Duke Lennart," the man said, bowing deeply, "I am Seth, your retainer and steward. It is a pleasure to make your acquaintance at last."
Walter nodded respectfully as Seth stood back up straight. "A pleasure to meet you, Seth. How fares Nordenheim?"
"All is well, General," Seth responded, before adopting an uneasy look. "Except perhaps for a couple of minor issues…but we can discuss those later. Please, you and milady should come in out of the cold and warm up by the fire. I have tea brewing currently as well."
Walter raised an eyebrow; Seth's demeanor was far more uneasy than a couple of "minor" issues would suggest, and his correspondence of late had carried allusions to internal troubles, but he figured Seth would get around to it once they were inside. Seth stepped aside and gestured them in, and Walter took his first good look around the Castle.
He snorted in disdain; the late Duke Vyland had clearly loved opulence. His floors were pristine marble, polished to an immaculate shine, with rich tapestries and banners bearing the old House crest, a golden owl, hung periodically from poles and banners. An expensive, solid gold chandelier hung over the main hall, and the marble stairs were carpeted with a rich purple fabric. The railings on the stairs were all gilded, much to Walter's disdain. As Seth led them through one of the doors at the side of the hall, he snorted again in disgust; there were obviously priceless paintings and marble statues spaced periodically through the hall, and doubtlessly the others as well.
"Is the castle not to your liking, milord?" Seth asked evenly as Walter snorted a third time at a particularly…lewd statue of a woman.
"No, it is not," Walter answered honestly. "I will be selling most of this…'decoration' and add the funds to the coffers. There is no need for such decadence, not when there are still war orphans that need housing."
Seth smiled at that. "Oh, thank the gods," he breathed. "I do not wish to speak ill of my former master, but he truly had a taste for opulence, and I could never stomach it. I believe I will come to enjoy serving you, General."
"I certainly hope so," Walter chuckled. He turned to Phila, who was gazing with disinterest at her surroundings. "Have you been here before, Phila?" he asked.
"Once," Phila said. "For some celebration, I can't remember the particular reason, back when I was still a young woman. Vyland's father did not quite match his son's decadent tastes, but much of this décor has been here since his days. I was not impressed at the time, and I must confess to still not being impressed."
Walter laughed at that. "Worry not, Phila, this gaudy décor will not remain for long." He turned back to Seth, who was still leading them down the hall. "Aside from the décor, are there any problems with the Castle itself?"
"The study has a bit of a draft," Seth informed him as they walked into what was obviously the sitting room, "one of the lesser used servant's passages is in disrepair, the pantry had a bit of a mouse problem that I assure you is being taken care of, and the stables could use a new roof. Other than those minor issues, the Castle is in spectacular shape, and completely defensible."
"That is good to hear," Walter said as he lowered himself carefully into a reading chair that looked to cost as much as Walter's armor. Phila did the same in another chair across from his. The sitting room was quite cozy, Walter thought; the dark oak paneling on the walls, the lush carpet, and the roaring fire were all quite welcoming. Of course, the paintings of women in various states of undress and stuffed animal heads would have to go, but this was by far the least gaudily decorated room in the Castle. Despite wearing armor, Walter felt himself relaxing almost immediately due to the softness and comfort of the chair, evident even through his armor. Perhaps I will keep the chair, he thought with amusement. "I can assume, then, that the 'minor issues' you have referenced before are not related to the Castle itself?" he said aloud to Seth.
Seth's face turned grim. "I fear not, milord," he sighed. "Again, I do not wish to speak ill of my former master, but there are certain…problems that I believe you will not be so willing to ignore as he was."
"Speak your mind," Walter said simply. "I will not punish you for speaking out."
Seth let out a relieved smile. "There are, simply put, criminals running amok, milord."
"What manner of criminals?" Walter said, his tone now serious.
"Two skilled bandit leaders who have been raiding on both sides of the Feroxi border, and one animal smuggling ring," Seth responded, his tone equally serious. "The two bandits are a pair of twins named Vincent and Victor, and the animal smugglers are operating out of Pinebrook, one of the villages in the southeast corner of the Duchy. Duke Vyland knew all of them were operating in the area, and I suspect he was receiving bribes to ignore them. I have prepared dossiers on the three of them, milord."
"I will take a look at them," Walter promised. "I will not tolerate criminals in my duchy, especially bandits. They will be rooted out swiftly and without mercy. For now, I wish for you to draft a message to Ylisstol, begging the aid of the King's Shepherds in disposing of these ruffians."
"Very well, milord," Seth said dutifully, smiling slightly, before bowing and exiting the room.
Phila raised an eyebrow as Seth left. "Well, it certainly didn't take long for problems to fall into our laps here," she chuckled wryly.
"There wouldn't be any if Vyland had done his bloody job," Walter growled, before his gaze softened. "We will have peace soon enough, Phila. I do not intend to spend the rest of my life with you fighting others."
Phila laughed at that. "Yes, I suppose it would get repetitive after a while," she said amusedly, before leaning back into her chair. "I cannot speak to House Vyland's decorative tastes, but they certainly know how to pick a chair. This one is supremely comfortable."
Walter chortled at that. "Indeed they are. In fact, I'm going to go take off my armor before I ruin it."
"Would you like my assistance?" Phila asked innocently as Walter stood upright.
Walter just leveled a glare without heat at her, and she was clearly restraining a smile. "The last time you assisted me in removing my armor, you seemed rather reluctant to stop there. I believe I can handle it," he said sternly, though he was also clearly struggling to contain his own amusement."
"Foiled again," Phila sighed theatrically, before laughing lightly at Walter's rolling eyes. "One would almost swear you didn't want me," she muttered.
Walter simply rolled his eyes again; she had tried that guilt trip before, only for him to end up falling over himself to reassure her, much to her amusement. "We've already discussed this, Phila. I want you just as much, if not more, than you want me, but we will have to wait."
"Until the wedding, I know," Phila sighed disappointedly. "It's just…" she trailed off, looking atypically unsure of herself.
"What is it, Phila?" Walter asked softly, stepping closer to her and kneeling down.
"I'm…I'm not young anymore, Walter," she said quietly. "My hourglass is moving quite quickly at this point. I…I want children," she stated nervously. "My own child, our own child. I fear that every month that passes bears me ever closer to the point where I can't bear them anymore. I'd rather throw my honor to the wind than miss our opportunity to have children together. The chances of having more than one at this point are even poorer."
Walter laid a hand on her shoulder gently. "You've still a decade or more yet before that time comes," he reassured her. "You have nothing to fear. Regardless, I suppose we will just have to start planning the wedding as soon as possible. Tonight, in fact," he proclaimed, before placing a gentle kiss on her temple.
She smiled at him and raised an eyebrow. "You intend to reorganize an army, fight a notorious bandit troupe, stop an animal smuggling ring, rule the Duchy, and plan a wedding all at the same time?" She asked skeptically. "You are certainly a capable man, General, but that is quite the to-do list you've made for yourself."
"I like to consider myself ambitious," Walter chuckled, before growing serious. "If you are that worried about your age and ability to bear children, which I personally think you really should not be, then it is only sensible that I should place a priority on our wedding."
"You're such a sweet man under that gruff exterior," Phila said lovingly as she reached over and briefly hugged him, before placing a kiss on his cheek. "Go on and remove your armor, I'll see about finding one of the servants and getting dinner started."
Walter nodded and rose as Phila did, and they both left the room, before going their separate ways, with Walter thinking warm thoughts about their future together. It wasn't until Walter got to his room on the second floor that he realized what he'd just gotten himself into; he'd helped plan his first wedding, and it had been more stressful than just about anything before Greyhampton.
His next few months would be quite busy indeed.
000
"Walter, great to see you!" A voice shouted behind him two weeks later. Walter turned around to see Robin striding through the snow of Castle Nordenheim's courtyard, with Tharja, Gaius, Donnel, Sully, Libra, Olivia, and Virion in tow. Walter noticed that Tharja and Sully now both wore engagement rings, hovering quite close to Gaius and Donnel, respectively, and Libra had already been engaged when they'd left Ylisstol. Among the Shepherds present, only Robin and Virion were not betrothed. It was a strange thought, but a welcome one; it warmed his heart to see that love could blossom even just after a war. Of course, all he really needed to remind himself of that was to look at the woman he spent his days with, but it was nice to have other reminders as well.
"Robin, well met," Walter greeted warmly as he sheathed his mace, his heavy breaths visible in the chill morning air from his brief sparring match against Phila, who was leaning on her own lance now. "I trust that King Chrom has informed you of our troubles?"
"Yes, he did," Robin replied in a serious tone. "Twin bandit leaders and an animal smuggling ring. Thankfully, I believe we already have a lead on the whereabouts of at least one of them, Victor."
Walter raised an eyebrow. "Go on," he urged.
"Khan Flavia recently sent Chrom a letter regarding some bandits that were somehow sneaking past the Longfort and harassing her villagers," Robin explained. "One village in particular is getting the worst of it, just north of the Longfort, and their trail was last seen heading south to Ylisse. The methods match Seth's dossier on the twins, it's our best place to start."
Walter nodded, before turning to the other Shepherds. "It is good to see all of you again," he greeted warmly.
"May Naga bless this meeting," Libra greeted warmly.
"H-hi," Olivia stuttered so quietly Walter almost didn't hear her. In truth, he only knew she'd spoken because she was blushing so furiously. Her timidity was almost painful to look at.
"I got bored stickin' around the castle, figured hunting some bandits would be a good change of pace," Gaius said with a grin.
"I'm just here to try out some new hexes," Tharja said pointedly, coldly. "I don't care what happens to the village. It's bloody cold here, though, I'm thinking I should have stayed home…"
"I'm here to crack some bandit skulls!" Sully cheered from atop her horse. "Scum won't know what hit 'em!"
"I don't like bandits, not one bit," Donnel said crossly from behind her, and Walter nodded sympathetically. He remembered the Farfort, and what had happened to Donnel's father. "I ain't fixin' to let these no good bastards get away with it!"
"To round out zis merriest of gangs, 'tis I, ze archest of archers, ze noble and humble Virion!" Virion finished as he drew his bow with a flourish.
"The only thing humble about you is your ability to hold your drinks," Robin snorted, causing the others to laugh and Virion to turn up his nose indignantly, though a smile was pulling at his features as well.
"Should we be expecting any more to join us?" Walter asked. "Not that those present aren't enough, mind, but it never hurts to have more men."
"Nope, this is about it," Robin said. "The rest of the Shepherds have dispersed from Ylisstol to their own homes for the Winter Solstice, or are too occupied with their own duties."
"Speaking of, Bubbles," Gaius spoke up with a grin, "aintcha supposed to be helping Chrom rebuild the halidom? I recall him sayin' something about organizing a cooperative reconstruction effort with Plegia…"
"Don't remind me," Robin groaned. "I took this mission to go on vacation; I'm losing my mind up in the Palace. I need to get back to basics, just some good old-fashioned bandit disposal."
Walter laughed at that. "Don't let Khan Flavia here you speaking like that, or I'll have to cram another wedding into my schedule." The sheer volume of weddings he'd been invited to (namely, all of them) had already filled a surprising amount of his schedule over the next year; he was having difficulty finding a date to set Phila's and his own wedding without conflicting with another's. It was already looking like it would be early next year, or even as far as that winter, much to Phila's disappointment.
"That's another reason I needed to get out," Robin grumbled. "The Shepherd's barracks has become like a couple's retreat. The reason I picked these guys to come with me is because they're not all over each other, like Miriel and Gregor or Vaike and Nowi."
"If you want a show, we'll give you one!" Sully jeered from her saddle, causing Donnel to turn an alarming shade of red that matched his betrothed's armor almost perfectly.
"That is the exact opposite of what I want," Robin snapped back, causing the others to laugh. "Yeah guys, laugh it up."
"Fear not, most tactical of tacticians!" Virion exclaimed, wrapping his arm around Robin's shoulder, "I would gladly take you under my wing, zat you might embrace your bachelor status and partake of life's most pleasurable of avocations, ze pursuit of romance!"
Robin stuck his leg behind Virion's and shoved him backwards, causing the man to land on his rump in the snow when he lost his balance. "No, I don't want to be some philanderer either," he deadpanned, causing the others to laugh again as Virion stood up, brushing snow off of himself and muttering about a lack of respect and appreciation. "Now, can we get back on topic? I've already planned a route to the Feroxi village in question, and would like to review some strategies."
"Why don't we go inside, out of the cold?" Phila suggested.
"I like that idea, m'self, it's colder than Lon'qu's glare out here," Donnel spoke up, shivering violently. Walter then remembered that the Farfort was on the exact opposite end of the continent from Nordenheim, and Donnel had likely never even seen snow before.
"Agreed," Robin said with a grateful nod, intolerant of the cold himself. "I don't want to ruin all of my hard work by dropping it in the snow, after all." Walter nodded, before gesturing to them to follow and leading them into the castle.
000
Two hours later, they exited the castle, Walter and Robin wrapping up some last minute tactics and preparing to depart for the Longfort, when Phila's stunned gasp pulled Walter's attention forward. He quickly noted the source of Phila's shock; the pegasus they'd healed together, Erinys, was standing in the middle of the courtyard, with Cordelia attempting to get near it, and nearly getting blasted with holy magic for her trouble. Several of the guards were eyeing it curiously and warily, keeping their distance and looking unsure. Stahl was at the gate as well, atop a heavily panting destrier; what were they all doing here?
"Cordelia, what's going on here?" Phila asked in alarm.
"She just…took off on me," Cordelia said as she took another step forward, only for another blast of holy magic to crack the stone at her feet and cause her to jump back. "Calm down, girl!"
"What do you mean?" Phila asked, shuffling forward herself. Erinys eyed her with an unreadable look, and turned to snort at Cordelia angrily as the red-tressed Pegasus Knight attempted to approach again.
"She's been agitated for the past week and a half," Cordelia explained as she sighed in exasperation and stepped back. "Sumia and I were chatting in the stables the other day. When she mentioned that Robin and some others had left to meet with you two, she simply broke out of her stable and took off. I've been following her for days. She kept winding around and around, but ultimately led us here."
"What's the matter with you, Erinys?" Phila asked softly as she approached. Unlike with Cordelia, she allowed Phila to approach, and the veteran Pegasus Knight placed her hand gently on her snout. Cordelia huffed almost indignantly at the utter lack of resistance. "You were doing so well when we left…"
"Well, I think it's obvious what she's doing here," Robin spoke up. The pegasus whipped its head around in alarm at Robin's voice, snorting and stamping angrily as holy magic flared. "Wow, you really don't like me," Robin said with a chuckle, stepping back until he was almost back in the castle. Erinys finally calmed down, but continued to glare at the tactician. "Understandable, our last meeting wasn't exactly peaceful... Anyway, it's obvious that she missed you, Captain Phila."
"Is that true, girl?" Phila asked gently. The pegasus simply looked at her, but that seemed to be all the affirmation Phila needed. "You're such a sweetheart." Walter could have sworn the pegasus rolled it's eyes at that.
"Yeah, until she tries to kill you," Tharja muttered darkly from behind Robin. Erinys simply shot the sorceress a disdainful glare.
"Ignore her," Phila said sweetly, petting the creature's face gently.
"Well, what do we do now?" Robin asked. "We need to get moving, but we can't take her with us." The pegasus snorted angrily at that.
"Well, the answer's simple enough," Walter spoke up. "We get a saddle, and Phila rides her."
Phila raised an eyebrow. "Walter, you don't just throw a saddle on a pegasus," she admonished. "These creatures are almost as intelligent as you or I. You can't simply break them like a horse, they have to be willing."
Walter strode forward then, drawing close to the pegasus. She snorted, but did not back away. "I doubt she would have come all this way if she was not willing," Walter said, still looking at the pegasus. "Tell me I'm wrong," he directed at the pegasus. Some of the others looked at Walter like he was daft for talking to a pegasus, but he could have sworn that he saw an almost imperceptible nod from the creature.
Apparently, Phila saw it as well, her eyes widening in surprise. To Walter's surprise though, she looked rather hesitant. "I…I don't know," Phila said quietly, looking to the ground. "I would dearly love to fly again, but…I still grieve for Catria. I don't know if…"
"You've told me before of the bond a rider and pegasus share," Walter said as she trailed off. "It is clear that you have some sort of bond with Erinys, and it with you. What other reason would it have to break free, simply to find her way here?" Phila looked up at Walter, her face unsure. "Would Catria have preferred you to never fly again, to never form that bond with another pegasus?"
"Possibly," Phila laughed dryly, "she always was jealous when I would tend to other pegasi…but…" her gaze grew determined then, and she nodded. "I'll do it."
"Are you sure?" Walter asked. "Nobody would fault you…except perhaps Erinys." The pegasus snorted at that, hard enough to blow some of Walter's hair into his face.
"Not entirely," Phila answered honestly as she began stroking Erinys' face again. "But I miss flying most terribly, and I'm still rubbish at fighting on foot." Walter's sore and bruised limbs argued that point, but he opted not to vocalize it. "Do you know what you're getting yourself into, girl?" she asked the pegasus. "You'll be going into combat. You could die." The pegasus merely gazed at her out of one eye, as if asking if she was insulting her intelligence, and Phila sighed, before laughing softly. "Well, I guess that settles it then. I'm… I'm going to fly again."
000
Walter smiled from the head of the column as Phila soared overhead again, laughing as she had been nonstop for the entire half day they'd been marching. Cordelia was shortly behind her, smiling fondly and shaking her head as Phila and Erinys did a barrel roll. At first the pair had been obviously out of sync, Phila nearly falling several times, but they'd quickly adapted, and now Phila was "flying reconnaissance". Walter though she was simply doing aerial tricks and having the time of her life, but he certainly wouldn't begrudge her having fun. Walter didn't think he'd ever heard her so happy before, and the sound warmed his heart.
"At least someone's enjoying themselves," Robin grumbled from next to him, visibly shivering from the cold.
"Come now, Robin," Walter said with a grin, "It isn't even the coldest part of winter yet!"
"Don't remind me," Robin sighed, causing Walter to laugh. "I'm glad you think this is funny. You know, Frederick originally suspected me of being Plegian, and I'm starting to believe that myself. There's no other way I could be this intolerant of the cold."
"Would that bother you?" Walter asked. "Being Plegian, I mean."
Robin shrugged. "I don't know how to feel about it," Robin admitted. "I mean, we just finished a war with them a few months ago, but Emmeryn was right about them being decent people. Some of the others have a bit of an axe to grind with them, Maribelle especially, but…I just can't bring myself to hate them. Me being Plegian would also explain the fact that my coat is apparently Grimleal and…this," he admitted uneasily. He removed the glove on his right hand, revealing a purple tattoo that made the hairs on Walter's neck stand up. It appeared to be three sets of eyes on top of each other, a curved vertical line running down through each half of each pair, linked at the bottom in a helix pattern. Walter knew it was a trick of his eyes, but he could have sworn those eyes were staring straight at him.
"What is that?" Walter asked, trying and failing to keep his uneasiness from his voice.
"I've been doing research in the Royal Archives with Chrom's blessing, and it's called the 'Brand of the Defile'," Robin explained in monotone as he replaced his glove. "It's Grima's counterpart to the Brand of the Exalt, the Mark of Naga that each of the Exalted Line are born with. It's apparently quite common for Grimleal shamans to get it tattooed on whatever parts of their body aren't chopped off as part of dark magic rituals."
"So, you believe you were once a Grimleal shaman?" Walter asked, pointedly ignoring the bit about Grimleal self-mutilation.
"It would make the most sense, but…" Robin trailed off, before sighing. "I don't know. Whenever I think about the Grimleal too much, I feel anger. And fear. My best guess is that I had just left their Order for some reason when Chrom found me. It would explain why I was in Ylisse, despite there being no Grimleal sect in Ylisse at all. It would also explain why I'm so proficient at dark magic."
Walter nodded, thinking about the sheer mastery of dark magic Robin had displayed back when they'd cured Erinys. The man had seemed to lose his mind for a bit, sure, but the spell itself was far more powerful and controlled than anyone else in the Shepherds could think of managing. "That seems the most likely explanation," Walter agreed. "What do you plan to do with this knowledge?"
"Nothing," Robin said simply, surprising Walter. "I've got too much on my plate to be trying to track down my past, especially if it's tied up with the Grimleal. Rumor has it that the King Regnant that's supposed to be replacing Mustafa is Grimleal, and the last thing I want to do is start another war over my past."
"How is Mustafa doing?" Walter asked. He occasionally felt a spike of curiosity when he got to thinking about the Plegian general, but never got around to writing a letter or investigating further. "I know he was named King Regnant after the war, but little else. My own focus has been on restructuring the Army, leaving little time to worry about the state of Plegia."
"And dumping cow slop on members of the Council," Robin said with a grin, causing Walter to snort in amusement. "But apparently Mustafa's doing as well, or at least as well as a soldier who recently lost his wife and child could be when thrust into politics. He and Chrom have been writing each other fairly regularly. Mustafa's been making a lot of reforms, but the Plegian Emirs wanted his head on a pike within a month of him assuming the Throne." Robin and Walter both got a chuckle out of that. "I can't speak for the new prospective King Regnant, but Mustafa would be good for them if he stayed."
"I hope he finds peace," Walter said somberly as their laughter dried up. "I've lost my own wife, and likely my child as well. I can empathize with his pain."
"Yeah, I heard about that," Robin said sympathetically. "You have my condolences. So, this might be a bit invasive of a question, but do you think your son is still alive?"
Walter sighed. "All logic dictates he isn't," Walter admitted, "but my heart says otherwise. I believe, or at the very least hope, he still lives."
"It's always good to have hope," Robin said with a smile. "Who knows? He may very well be alive, and end up here in Ylisse."
Walter chuckled ruefully at that. "I rather doubt it, Robin, but thank you."
"That's what friends are for, right?" Robin said with a grin, before looking up and frowning. Walter followed his gaze, and saw Phila and Cordelia flying back with all speed. "Looks like we've got trouble," he said grimly.
AN:
Lol realized ¾ of the way through the chapter that I had forgotten entirely about Erinys. Whoops. Instead of rewriting the entire thing, I just changed the direction it was heading in. Lmao I'm a dumbass.
