Author's Note: Sorry for the late chapter. Work's been draining for me. Skipped Monday's chapter and I'm not even upset about it. Just worn out. Still getting over that cold I had the other week. It's always like this when I get sick. The fever and chills and sneezing and itchy eyes and runny nose and stuff lasts for two days, then I have a terrible cough and lack of energy for two to four weeks after.
Been dealing with personal issues IRL, too. I might have to temporarily cut this story down to once a week if this keeps up. Originally I dreaded writing this chapter (hence why I dragged my feet) because I didn't want to do two big battle chapters in a row between both stories, but… this ended up being what it is.
A side note about last chapter. Chrom noted how Raven usually is very outgoing, but deflects anything too personal or too uncomfortable with humor and misdirection. That's very much a trait of me in-person. I'm finding I'm putting a bit of myself into Raven (which is natural to do since I am writing this in first-person), but I just found that rather… interesting to note.
Chapter 13:
… must come down.
The bandits stood before us, outnumbering us but being naturally bottlenecked on this cliff face. I stood there with my lance as they faced us. There was no way I was going to let them get to the exalt. Not on my watch. Not on Chrom's watch. Not on anyone's watch.
That damn bastard sold us out! He got what he deserved, though… no more and no less.
"Shepherds! Assemble," Chrom said. I think that's slowly becoming his favorite catchphrase.
"You got it, captain," I replied.
I saw Sumia flying overhead on her Pegasus, reaching into her bag of javelins, and holding one at the ready. Virion was holding back with Ricken and Miriel, ready to provide long-ranged support if necessary. In front of them were Elise and Lissa holding their staves, but their respective weapons ready should they need to defend themselves.
"Har, so the princeling thinks he can fight on the battlefield? I'll splatter you across this canyon floor!" the leader said.
"It could be a valley," I heard Sophia quietly say to herself. Wait, what was she doing up here?
"Sophia, you should step back," Chrom advised.
"Oh, I shall shortly! I am sensing a familiar force, though. I do believe some magic of the Chosen Ones is present and I am attempting to divine where I must position myself to access it!" she replied. Chrom looked at me in confusion.
"Just… let her be. Sophia is as Sophia does," I replied. "Besides, her canyon last battle proved useful. Yes, a canyon."
"I do believe it was more of a gorge than a canyon," Sophia replied.
"That is true," Chrom replied to me, ignoring what she said.
We watched the bandits stand there, waiting for us to approach. It's perplexing they aren't trying to approach us. Were they smarter than the average bandit?
"Very well, Shepherds! We will take the battle to them," Chrom said as he pointed Falchion forward. We all charged forward as the mages and solitary archer started shooting at the bandits in front of us. Our frontlines clashed and I met the bandit in front of me in frantic battle.
As with most other bandits we've fought, we were making short work of them. The only issue was the sheer number of them and the limited space we had to work with. As we pushed the bandits back, I heard Sophia call out.
"Captain, look, something approaches us from behind."
Chrom and I looked in the direction she was pointing behind us to see a large mass of flying units coming toward us. It looked like a Pegasus knight and several Wyvern riders. Shoot, they're trying to pincer us!
"Gods, an attack from the back!" Chrom said, frustration apparent in his voice.
"About damn time!" the bandit leader said gleefully. He swung his axe only to have Frederick block it with his lance.
"Your battle is with me," Frederick said calmly as he rode around the bandit leader, trying to find an opening to strike. We began to fight harder in an attempt to clear space for our convoy to move forward and finish the bandits before the reinforcements showed up. As soon as we pushed forward, Sophia made a sound and ran off to the wall of the canyon nearby.
"Chrom, tell your flyer to land!" she said urgently. Chrom looked at her confused for a second, but then whistled and made a motion for Sumia to land. Sumia nodded, threw a javelin and began the process to land behind us. I looked and saw a whole horde of the Wyvern riders and the one Pegasus knight getting closer and closer. Sophia, whatever you have to do, you better hurry! They're getting closer.
"Okay, here goes!" she said. Wait a second… that mass of red on that Pegasus. That couldn't be, could it…?
"Sophia, wait, WAIT!" I said frantically. She paused and looked at me for a second in a confused manner.
"Sumia, fly up to that Pegasus knight. If that is who I think it is, tell her to land NOW!" I directed.
"You got it!" Sumia said, kicking off the ground. Whoa, where did that confident answer come from?
"Sophia, as soon as Sumia lands… with or without the other Pegasus knight, cast whatever you were going to cast! Elise, pull out your bow and focus on any wyverns that close behind us. Virion, do the same! Mages, advance and support the frontline! Call any targets out of position! Clerics, support the frontline and help them gain ground," I said in a commanding tone. Robin looked at me with some confusion, but gave me a look of trust and continued his duel with the bandits in front of him.
… wait, where did that level of confidence and authority come from? I watched as a few of the Shepherds looked at me with various looks of confusion, not used to having someone other than Robin and occasionally Elise direct them, but they did as I said. I saw Sumia fly closer and do a few hand signs. At that, I saw Sumia and the other Pegasus knight quickly head for the ground.
"Sophia, now!" I called out.
"Not yet. It could injure them," she replied.
"We don't have much time if they're detouring! Do it now and trust Sumia!" I cried out, watching the wyvern knights split in two groups. A small group followed Sumia and the other knight to the ground while the larger group continued their flight toward us. She nodded and in a few seconds I felt that weird surge that I felt in the last battle. Perfectly timed as Sumia and the mysterious Pegasus knight had just landed on the ground.
I wonder if she cast any of her Chosen One arts during the battle to save the exalt. I didn't feel any of the magic from where I was, so I can only assume she can only do it in specific locations or I was too far away. Similar to what happened the last time, a faint outline of a dragon seemed to briefly flash around her. I heard a rumbling sound coming from the bottom of the canyon. Before I could investigate, I felt a huge blast of air come over the edge and throw me backward a few steps. I looked over to the Wyvern riders to see they were all hit with a massive updraft from the bottom of the canyon.
I shivered involuntarily as most of the Wyverns, unable to handle the wind, flipped around in the air. I watched as numerous riders were thrown off their mounts into the air, their limbs flailing trying to grasp at anything they could. Their voices were screaming in sheer fear and absolute terror as they all plummeted down the canyon toward their inevitable fate. Gradually, the echoes of the voices decreased and faded until there was nothing but the still, eerie silence of death. Fighters from both sides stared at Sophia, a wide range of emotions visibly displayed on each of their faces. Nobody even dared to move. Eventually, I saw the bandit leader take an unconscious step back almost in fear, his ace in the hole almost singlehandedly decimated by the quizzically quirky maiden. After another two steps back, He regained his nerve and pointed his axe forward.
"Charge!" he cried out in a frenzied voice, rushing forward and glancing to his sides to make sure he wasn't blindly charging us alone. At least I could give him credit for having heart. I watched Sumia and the other Pegasus knight running toward us, their mounts flying alongside them. It's okay to ride again, although I can understand their reluctance to take to the air again. I saw the looks of fear and nervousness etched firmly across both of their faces.
I knew it! It was Cordelia. I turned my attention to the battle at the front and began to work in sync with the other Shepherds to finish off the battle. With the bandits losing confidence at a rapid rate, we made short work of the remainder of what was left. Chrom, not even bothering to call for victory, started running to the back of the convoy. Robin and I were close behind, just to make sure he was okay. At the same time, I saw Sumia and Cordelia running toward us at such fast speeds.
"Your Grace! My prince! Everyone! Run! Run as fast and as far as you can! More Plegians are coming, not half a day's march behind you!" Cordelia quickly rambled.
"Wait, Cordelia! What are you doing here?" Phila asked. "Tell me the border remains secure."
I saw a look of pain and turmoil cross her expression as she started staring at the ground, refusing to make eye contact with any of us. What the hell happened, Cordelia?
"That I wish I could, milady… but… that would be telling a falsehood. King Gangrel himself led his entire might against us at the border, catching us unawares. We were all going to be slaughtered, but my knight-sisters begged me to fly off and warn the exalt. They fought as hard and as spirited as they could to buy me the time to get away. They… they… they stayed behind. They fought… for my sake. I should have stayed… I should have stayed… I should have stayed! Ah, gods, I can still hear their screams. I can still see the Plegians massacring them one by one as their Wyverns gave chase to me. Why…" she said as she fell to her knees. Sumia gently put a consoling hand on her friend's shoulder.
"Peace, Cordelia. You did your duty. Those sisters of yours rightly prized your youth and vigor. You've many years ahead of you to keep their legacy alive," Phila said.
"… but I abandoned them. I'm weak. Their legacy deserved better than being mercilessly slaughtered by Plegians. Their legacy deserved them heroically giving their lives to save the exalt, not someone as lowly as me…"
"Cordelia," I said quietly as I knelt down beside her. I thought back to the conversation we had outside the bakery in Ylisstol all that time ago. I remember how she felt about her comrades. I felt the weakness she had in her heart, despite her attempts to stay strong.
"Raven," she replied quietly, looking up at me, recognizing who I am. I smiled at that. Our little talk all that time ago must have had an influence on her, I hope…
"Sometimes… sometimes fleeing takes the most courage. Your sisters knew that," I said. "Please, Cordelia, pull yourself together. Let the faith that they showed in you give you strength. Work to avenge them. They still live, within your heart and within your mind. They made their peace with their fate and they did what they could to ensure at least one person managed to warn the exalt. They entrusted the future of Ylisse with you. Do honor to that trust and fight on. Can… you do that, Cordelia?"
"Raven, I… how can I go on like this? They were my family… oh gods… and now they are no more."
"Damn those monsters!" Chrom said, startling the both of us. I saw the exalt standing nearby with a concerned expression.
"I must return to the capital," she said.
"Your Grace, I cannot advise—"
"I should never have left. If it's discovered I'm away when this news comes to light… the people could panic. They could riot. More Ylisseans could needlessly die. Here, Chrom. I entrust this to you," the exalt said, interrupting Phila, and held out some odd looking artifact. Chrom gave her a puzzled expression.
"You're giving me the Fire Emblem?" he asked.
"Take it to Ferox. Take it to safety. It must not fall in King Gangrel's hands," she replied.
"Take it to Ferox while you march straight toward the whole might of Plegia with just this force? No, Emm, I cannot let you!" Chrom said.
"No part of House Ylisse matters more than the Emblem. 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," she said.
"Emm, come on. You can't… don't talk like that! You sound like you're ready to give up," Chrom said frantically.
"I am not giving up, Chrom. I am only giving what I can," she replied.
"Emm, please! This is madness!" Chrom said.
"Sis, wait! Let me go with you!" Lissa begged as she ran forward.
"Stay with Chrom, Lissa. I command it."
"This isn't fair! It's not fair! I know our people need you, but we need you, too!" Lissa said, tears forming in her eyes.
"Dry your tears, love. This is not good-bye," she told Lissa with a smile.
"Your Grace, the pegasus knights will accompany you to Ylisstol," Phila said.
"Very well, Phila. Thank you."
"I will stay with the prince and princess to keep them safe, Your Grace. You have my word," Frederick stated.
"I know you will, Frederick. Thank you."
"It is my honor."
"Cordelia. You will stay here with Prince Chrom," Phila said, her face set in grim determination. We all knew what Phila meant, sending Cordelia with us instead of keeping her with the rest of the Pegasus knights.
"But, Captain—"
"I know your heart is heavy, but this is how it must be. Your knight-sisters will be with you in spirit, wherever you go. Honor us all when you return to Ylisstol and achieve victory," Phila said. "This is an order from your superior. Protect Prince Chrom and protect the Fire Emblem at all costs."
"… may they give me strength. As you command, Captain. I will pray for your safety," Cordelia replied.
"Come, Phila. We must go," the exalt said.
"No! You don't have to go! This is absurd! Walking to your own death will not bring peace to anyone! Ylisse needs you. We need you! Be selfish for once in your life! Please, Emm…"
"… I love you, Chrom. Both you and Lissa are my everything. As for the peace I seek… you cannot see who it is for. I have to go. I'm sorry—I truly am. Let us embrace again in Ylisstol when you arrive with Feroxi reinforcements. The blood of the first exalt flows strong in all of us. You and I will keep Ylisse safe. I believe it with all my heart. Safe journey, Chrom. Safe journey, Lissa. I know you will come," she said with a smile.
There was nothing more to be said. We returned out of the canyon the way we entered. Chrom and Lissa tried many times to persuade the exalt to change her mind, but she would simply not budge on her resolution. I have to admire her for walking into what was basically an enemy ambush at best, and a death trap at worst, but this was not the time. Emmeryn… Phila… I know what you resolved your fates to be, but… I hope that is not what will happen. I hope you survive. I hope we can return to save you. Chrom… Lissa… for your sakes, let us do what we have to as fast as we can so that we can be back in time.
The group split into two as we left the canyon. The exalt and the Pegasus knights went west, while we started journeying north. I saw the two royal siblings watch their sister's convoy get smaller and smaller and smaller until they were no longer visible.
"Chrom," I said quietly.
"Raven, look…" he began, but stopped.
"How much do you value your rest?" I asked.
"What do you mean?" he asked.
"We have enough salted meats and supplies in our convoy. We don't have to stop and hunt to preserve those supplies, especially since we know what we are doing, where we are headed to, and what will happen when we reach Ferox. We could probably cut out a day or two from the journey up if we simply ration our food supply, eat as we travelled, and use those extra few hours normally reserved for gathering for pushing further," I proposed. Chrom thought about it for a second.
"As much as I want to look out for my men and our well-being…" Chrom said.
"Stop, Chrom. We all feel the same way you do. We all are here for you and because of you. I don't think anyone would object if you decided to go along with my suggestion," I said.
"… very well. Let Robin know," he said.
"I already know," Robin said as he walked up. "Raven briefed me of the idea and asked me for my opinion before he proposed it to you."
"Always a step ahead… very good, Raven. Let us do this," Chrom said. I nodded in reply. Robin and I immediately informed the others of the plan and every one of them wholeheartedly agreed. This was not the time to worry about ourselves. This was the time for all of us to put aside our desires and work together toward the common goal of the greater good. Everyone in this land, including everyone in the Shepherds, owes our peace and our land to Exalt Emmeryn. It is time we paid our debt to her.
As we made camp for our first night, the sun already beginning to set, Frederick walked over to me along with Robin.
"Raven, may I have a word?" Frederick asked.
"Yes, Frederick?"
"This may be poorly timed, but in light of circumstances coming up and the direness of our upcoming situation… I would like to have that spar with you," he said.
"You want to fully assess my abilities in order to best plan for any eventuality," I replied, clarifying.
"Yes," Robin replied. "It would prove beneficial to my strategizing if I know the full extent of your abilities. We will, of course, be testing Elise tomorrow as well. Will you acquiesce?"
"Naturally. Please, lead the way," I said. Frederick led us to a clearing slightly outside camp. I saw Chrom, Elise, and Lissa follow us out as well.
"Guys? Why are you here?" I asked.
"I saw Frederick and you talking and already knew what was being talked about. I am rather curious as well as to the extent of your ability," Chrom said.
"We were just getting ready to head to my tent for a little chat when we saw Chrom walk by. I thought he was following you, so we followed him," Elise said.
"Uh, okay," I replied. Frederick handed me a wooden lance and stepped away to a sparring distance. I nodded and readied myself for battle.
"The spar between Raven and Frederick will begin… now!" Robin said before stepping back. I had just settled myself into a defensive position when I saw Frederick take initiative. He thrust his lance forward at me when he got in range. I quickly sidestepped the blow and swung my lance to counter his. Using the shaft of his weapon, he blocked the blow before thrusting once again. This time, I swung the butt of my lance upward to parry his blow, knocking his lance and his arms upward. Before he could recover, I moved forward quickly and rammed him with my shoulder. He stumbled back a few steps as I executed two quick jabs with the tip of my lance. Both struck him in the breastplate, pushing him back even further. Lissa let out a whistle of approval.
"Go Ravey!" she cheered.
"Impressive," Chrom commented. Frederick nodded and took a few steps back to reset.
"You are very methodical and observant, choosing to find the right opportunity to counter and strike, rather than force your own openings. You prey upon any weaknesses in training or style of your opponent," Frederick commented.
"Please, Frederick, I know you were merely testing me and giving me purposeful openings. Save the praise for when you actually are trying and pushing my limits," I replied.
"The fact that you can tell I was holding back shows a depth of intuition with battle," Frederick replied.
"You're bent on trying to soften me up. Are you trying to make me drop my guard?" I asked.
"… your sense of mistrust is not unwarranted, but my compliments are genuine," he replied. "However, now I will take this seriously."
I saw him charge forward with alarming speed and I hastily blocked his swing. I stumbled backward and landed on my rear. He nodded and held his hand out to help me up. I took it and got off the ground.
"Raven, are you okay?" I heard Elise ask.
"Yeah, I am. That's more like it, though! Show me how far I have to climb," I said with a smile.
"You legitimately seem to enjoy getting beat more than you seem to enjoy winning," Chrom commented.
"Winning doesn't teach you as much as losing does," I replied.
"You would say that, Ravey," she said with a smirk.
"Who bought who dinner again?" I retorted. Lissa stuck her tongue out of me tauntingly in response.
"That's an interesting philosophy. Let's see if you learned anything from that," Frederick replied as he backed off to sparring distance. I nodded and we got into our stances again. I watched him charge again when suddenly a weird, yet intuitive idea formed in the back of my head. I started charging toward him when a sudden instinct tugged at my conscious mind. I succumbed to my innate reflexes and let my body work automatically. Next thing I knew, I flicked forward toward him, closing the distance between us instantaneously. Immediately, I followed up with a kick to his chest, a thrust to the abdomen, and then I chucked the wooden lance as hard as I could, which contacted him on the knee. Thankfully, all three blows were blocked by his armor and the fact we were using wooden lances, but had he had no armor or had this been a metal lance, I might have decently injured or incapacitated him.
"That… what happened?" Chrom asked.
"I don't know! I saw him charging forward, and it was like an instinct in the back of my head analyzed his previous charge and was telling me what to do, so I let my body act in reflex. I am just as surprised as you all are!" I quickly said. Frederick gave me a puzzled look as he held his chin in a thinking pose.
"You have the natural ability of someone who is seasoned with the spear, yet you seem to have some movements that an agile swordsman would have, similar to a skillset of someone like Gaius or Lon'qu," Frederick mused. "You are amplifying your movement, albeit subconsciously rather than consciously, which is a skill that most sword wielders use."
"So, does that mean I am a sword wielder?" I asked.
"Doubtful. Your skill with a lance implies someone who's studied with it extensively, especially considering you are using these moves purely on reactive reflex. Your former self might have had someone teach you those movements and you may have created a unique battle style for yourself, because that is a style I have not encountered before," Frederick explained.
"This raises more questions than answers, I hope you know that," I said to him.
"It is truly perplexing…"
"Sword wielders are supposed to do that?" Chrom asked.
"It's not an ability every sword wielder can use, and those that do use it are ones that do not have the physical strength to overcome an enemy. They are ones that require precise strikes on the weak points of an enemy's defense to land a critical hit in order to secure victory, and they require speed to exploit those openings. It would also explain Raven's natural defensive read and react style of combat," Frederick mused aloud. "He must have learned how to fight in that style, but with using a lance instead of a sword."
"So, I have the skills of someone like Lon'qu, but I have a lance. Got it," I said.
"You had the skills of someone like him, but you currently cannot use them at will," Frederick replied.
"Oh, uh, yeah, that's what I meant," I said sheepishly, rubbing the back of my head.
"I think that will be all," Frederick said.
"Really? I was looking forward to you overwhelming me a bit more, just so I could see how far I have to catch up to you," I said with a frown.
"Another time. I have to prepare for Donnel's training," Frederick said. "He missed the last two sessions."
"That seems unlike him. Any reason why?" I asked.
"I have no idea. He seems to be avoiding me and I have not seen him marching," Frederick said.
"Oh, he asked me for a favor the other day," Chrom replied.
"What was that favor?" I asked.
"He needed extra time to read a book, so he asked if he could ride in the convoy instead of marching with us. Said it was really important he finished this book as soon as possible," Chrom said. I sighed. He must've been spending all this time reading Maribelle's book of law.
"Yeah, I was there for that unfortunate incident. He could have taken his time, but he seems to devote himself to what he is studying with a passionate, almost obsessive fervor," I said.
"If only that work ethic extended to some of the other Shepherds," Frederick commented. I frowned for a second. Who could he be talking about?
"Frederick, you know I train when I can," I said.
"I was not referring to you," he replied. I saw Chrom get a look of realization cross his face and he nodded.
"He does train, though," Chrom stated. Is it just me, or is Chrom getting a bit better at reading non-verbal cues?
"Not nearly enough," Frederick replied.
"He is trying. I will give him that," Chrom said, in defense of this anonymous Shepherd.
"Be as it may, perhaps it would be beneficial to advise him to take some lessons with me. I will sort out his technique," Frederick stated.
"I will keep it in mind," Chrom replied with a nod.
"Anyway, that is all. I shall look forward to our next spar," Frederick said to me. With a small bow, he departed.
"Ravey, that was… the way you disappeared. That was… wow," Lissa said.
"That was most impressive," Elise said.
"I wish I knew how to control it, though," I replied with a frown.
"You will someday, I know it!" Lissa replied.
"Thanks Lissa," I replied with a smile.
"Well, Ravey… Parrot and I have a talk we need to have in my tent, so, uh, seeya!" she said with a wave.
"I'll talk to you both later," I replied. Before I could react she ran over and gave me a big hug before bouncing away. Elise and I gave each other a confused glance as we watched her bounce away.
"She's… going through a lot," Elise remarked.
"I can tell. She's trying her best to keep smiling for everyone else's sake," I replied.
"Indeed…"
"Look, Elise, about the other day… I'm sorry. I mean, I wasn't doing anything wrong, but if I somehow made you uncomfortable, then I'm sorry," I said. She sighed slightly.
"I realized you probably came over when you heard me cry out in surprise. It is a natural reaction. I probably would have done the same if I heard you do the same," she said.
"Still, uh, I wasn't staring. I mean, I didn't mean to stare. I mean… ugh… I feel like Chrom right now," I said with a sigh. Elise stared at me for a second.
"Are you… embarrassed?" she asked.
"I mean, I've never seen a woman with that little amount of clothing on and it was… not what I expected," I said. She pointed to her chest.
"Yes, the armor is slightly deceiving. You can say it," she stated with a frown.
"Wait, what? Is that why you were upset?" I asked.
"Wasn't that the first thing that went through your mind?" she asked.
"No! I was staring, because it took a second to sink in the absurdity of the situation!" I said hastily. "It just occurred to me while we were talking and you just had a towel on and… I just… argh, that was a big mess. Can we just forget about it?"
"I… so… you weren't surprised or disappointed?" she asked with genuine curiosity.
"Honestly, I didn't give it any thought," I replied. She glared at me before frowning.
"You didn't… give it any thought?" she said.
"Should I have? You seem upset at the thought that I might have given it thought," I replied.
"Oh… nevermind," she said with a sigh as she looked to the ground.
"Elise?" I asked.
"Lissa is probably waiting for me. I better go, before she gets impatient and wonders where I am. Have a good day… er… night, Raven," she said before briskly walking off.
… I have a feeling I did something wrong, but I have no idea what.
Somehow, we managed to make it to the border two days earlier than we initially expected, albeit we arrived in the afternoon. I saw the Longfort in front of me and thought about the battle we had here to prove who we were. I saw a few soldiers peek their heads out and signaled for us to stop.
"Halt, who goes there?"
"I am Prince Chrom. I am passing through with urgent business to address with your Khan in regards to our alliance!" Chrom stated.
"Understood! Welcome back, Prince Chrom," the soldier said. The gate opened up and we passed through.
"Will you be needing any provisions?" the soldiers asked as we passed through. Chrom thought for a second and held up the group.
"We could do with some more preserved, salted meats if you have any. We are running low and are trying to move as fast as possible," Chrom replied.
"Understood. Men, please, acquiesce our guests with provisions from the store house!" the soldier said, quite possibly the leader of this particular gate.
"You seem to be more lenient this time around," I remarked.
"I recognized you from the battle in the arena and stories of your exploits with Raimi's gate has spread like wildfire," the soldier replied.
"Feroxi diplomacy sure is unique," I commented to Chrom.
"Consider me an expert in those matters," Chrom replied with a small laugh. A few soldiers soon returned carrying a decent sized crate.
"Will this suffice?" a guard asked as he approached the supply convoy. I followed, detecting the faint smell of salted deer. Mmm…
"Yes, yes, thank you," Robin said as he checked the crate into inventory. Cordelia was looking over his shoulder and snatched the list and quill from his hand.
"This inventory sheet is a mess," she commented.
"Excuse me?" Robin asked.
"There is very little logic or consistency with your record-keeping. I saw the sheet you had the other day laid out differently than this one. How are we able to maintain consistent inventory records if our layout for the sheet itself is inconsistent?" she asked him.
"I just… write things as they come in?" Robin said quietly.
"Unacceptable. Allow me to assist you in making this process more efficient," she said.
"Would you just like to do the job?" Robin asked.
"As in officially take over inventory duties?" she asked.
"Yes. I honestly only started doing it because nobody else would. Well, I mean, Raven might have offered, but I wouldn't have trusted him with it," Robin said.
"Hey!" I said as I walked around the corner. Robin gave me a look of surprise.
"Raven, hello," he said with a nervous smile.
"I wouldn't have trusted him with it either," Cordelia said with a small laugh.
"Hey!" I repeated, this time to her. "See if I talk to you again."
"Relax, Raven, I was trying to make a joke," she said. I smiled at her.
"Well, at least you have a sense of humor. We could do with a bit more of that around here," I said.
"It's hard to find humor in a dire situation," Robin said.
"You have to keep the spark of hope and light alive, Robin. We have to stay positive and stay human in times of hardship," I replied.
"Yes, my Pegasus sisters used to always say to me that a healthy mind is as important as a healthy body for success!" she said. I paused for a second. She paused as well.
"Cordelia…?" I said carefully. Robin carefully grabbed back the inventory list and gave me a meaningful look.
"They'll never be able to give me any more advice. They're gone…" she said quietly.
"Cordelia, no, shh… it's fine," I said quietly as I quickly walked over and patted her gently on the shoulder. I nodded to Robin and he scurried off, possibly to head off anybody who might accidentally walk in.
"Is it, Raven? Am I really worth more than their lives?" she asked.
"If they hadn't, every single one of you would have fallen. Then none of us would have known about the force coming up from behind. We would have continued to the eastern palace while Ylisstol fell. Then they would have come down upon us in surprise and, possibly, the exalt and Princess Lissa and Prince Chrom would have all died. They gave their lives so you could survive. You survived so you could save ours. They did what they did to save everyone. They did what they did, because they knew it was necessary," I said. Cordelia sighed and wiped an eye. She… had eyes as vibrantly red as her hair.
For some reason, I had the strange urge to see what she would look like if she pulled her hair in a ponytail. I think it might suit her better. Plus, it would help keep it from getting in the way if she were to engage in combat. I mean, she's actually quite—
Wait, what the hell am I thinking?
"I know… I know it's what they wanted. I know it's why they did what they did. I simply cannot help but think that they could've had one of the others escape instead," she said.
"They chose you, Cordelia. They knew. They all knew. Phila was right. Honor their memory. I know you can do it, Cordelia. I believe in you," I said encouragingly.
"Heh, Raven, thanks… you're far too kind."
"If I was kinder, I would magically have a piece of chocolate cake on me that we could share while we stared at the stars and complained about life like two old souls," I said with a smile.
"Alas, be as it may, we are surrounded by salted jerky. That is hardly a proper substitute for chocolate cake," she replied.
"And this is mid-afternoon, not nighttime. The only stars around are the people in the Shepherds," I added with a smirk. She laughed a little at my joke.
"Raven, thank you for cheering me up. You seem to have grown into the role of being—n-no, wait, we can't be doing this. People will get the wrong idea!" she suddenly blurted.
"Wait, doing what? Wrong idea?" I asked, confused by her sudden change in demeanor.
"If you're so kind to me all the time, people will start to think… that we're friends," she said.
"… oh. I thought you were going to say something else. Er, but why would that be so bad? We are friends… aren't we? Or… do you dislike my company in anything more than small doses?" I asked.
"Do you think we are friends? Truly?" she asked.
"I thought we were. Do you not think so?" I asked, trying to clarify what she was thinking.
"Oh, I'm sorry. I think we are. I hope we are. I guess… I grew accustomed to not having any, outside of Sumia in our limited time seeing each other lately. I was the youngest recruit in the Pegasus knights. All of my comrades were veterans. There wasn't exactly someone I could call a "friend" in there," she said quietly.
"That's… that's sad," I said. I gently pulled her close, ready to let go if she offered any resistance. She didn't. I held her in an embrace as she put her chin on my shoulder. She had this… unique scent to her that I found interesting.
"Thank you, Raven. I could use a friend right now…" she said quietly.
"I might not be good for much, but I will give it an honest effort," I replied. Poor girl sounds so lonely…
"You definitely are a better friend than my Pegasus. It helped to talk to her a lot of the time, even if the conversations were a bit one-sided," she said, laughing a bit to herself. She pulled away and I let go of the embrace.
"Cordelia, if you need anyone to talk to, I'm always available," I said. "Except when I'm not, but I usually am!"
"Thank you, Raven. I will keep that in mind," she replied with a warm smile. Those eyes were just full of life now after that pep talk and—
"Oh, Raven, there you are!"
I saw Chrom walk over, startling both Cordelia and I. We quickly looked at each other and at the ground.
"Uh, hi Chrom!" I said quickly as I looked inside the wagon. "You, uh, totally caught me trying to look at the food supply and seeing what we had."
"Oh, Raven, you're always thinking about food. Anyway, I see you already know, but Cordelia is our new inventory manager. Robin told me he passed those duties on to her as they agreed. So, remember, it's one BLUE sleeping bag. Not just one sleeping bag," Chrom said.
"I knew that already. I had to keep correcting him on that. Wait, are you speaking from experience with that?" I asked Chrom. Chrom shifted uncomfortably.
"… anyway, Cordelia, thank you for all you have done for us and, uh, I know you'll do a good job," Chrom said.
"Th-thank you," she replied with a blush, still not meeting his eyes. Oh, Cordelia… either move forward or move on, please. Chrom's too dense to realize such things.
"Anyway, we're departing in five minutes. We should reach the capital slightly after nightfall if we make good time. I suggest you both get ready for departure," Chrom said.
"We will," I replied with a nod. Chrom looked at Cordelia and then back to me and then back to her. He stared at me for a second, as if something was clicking in his head. I frowned at him, unsure why he was staring at me or what he could possibly have been thinking.
"Uh, you two are usually prepared, so, uh, I'll leave you two to those five minutes to spend however you want," Chrom said awkwardly before walking off. Cordelia and I looked at each other.
"Did Chrom seem a little off to you?" I asked.
"How would I know? I never spent time to him or talked to him," she replied.
"You seemed to figure out Robin easily back at the bakery," I countered.
"I'm… surprised you remember that," she said.
"I'm surprised you remembered my name and who I was," I replied.
"How could I forget the random stranger that took the time, and half of his chocolate cake, to cheer up a random person?" she asked.
"Well, strangers are just friends you haven't met yet," I commented.
"… and now that we've met, we are friends. I like the sound of that," she said.
"As do I," I replied. "We have time to work together, get to know each other, do fun stuff! Maybe we can go to the bakery and have another slice of chocolate cake when things calm down."
"I… I would like that," she replied. "Thank you."
"… and just so you know, you can make friends with everyone here. Including Chrom," I said. She blushed slightly to herself.
"You did say you were going to teach me how to talk to Chrom," she said.
"I intend to make good on that. I wouldn't promise something I couldn't keep."
"Then, I shall look forward to your lessons… professor," she said with a small smile.
As we joked, we prepared for our journey to the capital of Ferox. We were almost there. Soon, we would be heading back and, with any luck, come to the exalt's assistance. Please, hold out for as long as you can! You have to survive. Marth's grim future and the fate of your nation hinges on your survival.
You have to survive…