(A/N: This is the last chapter in the arc! Sorry if it's a little unsatisfactory—both the chapter and the arc as a whole. I'm having a hard time figuring out what to write, so the quality and stuff might suffer a bit. My notes don't quite match up anymore ^.^' Anyway, as per usual, the next chapter will be an intermission chapter and the chapter after that will start the next arc. We're halfway through the entire story!)

Morgan watched Malin and Marth disappear a little bit outside of camp, then got called over by Lucina. After helping her plan the rest of the trip, he sat down with the Mini Shepherds to eat.

They all went to bed shortly after that, but Morgan stayed up a little bit to make sure Malin and Marth came back. Marth came back first, not noticing—or not acting like she noticed—him and going on to quietly train. By the time Malin came back, Morgan was half-asleep and therefore didn't fully realize it.

…

They got to their destination two days later. Marth still didn't talk to the Mini Shepherds much, but she quietly spoke to Malin every now and then. Morgan decided to take that as a good sign, as well as the fact that Malin was cheery again.

The village they were supposed to help looked a lot worse than the one in Regna Ferox. It was smaller, but it seemed like being so close to a desert had its disadvantages. They welcomed Malin and Marth like local heroes—although Marth had gone completely silent again—and they did the same to the Mini Shepherds once they recognized Lucina.

It was decided that they would stay a day or two before they went back to Ylisstol, and the group would separate as they got closer to their respective homes. With that in mind, Morgan came up to Malin and Marth as soon as he had the chance.

"Do you guys want to go back to Ylisstol with us?" Morgan asked, specifically looking at Malin. "I'm looking for a person because my mother asked; I think she'll want to see you, since you might know the person."

To his surprise, Marth was the one that replied—albeit silently. "I can't go. There's other things I need to do, and while I'll be passing Ylisstol on my way there, it's a little out of the way at the moment. If Malin wants to go, however, I won't stop him."

"No; I'll stay with Marth," Malin said. "But like she said, we'll be at Ylisstol in a few months, so I'll make sure to drop by the castle while I'm there. Does that sound good?"

"Yeah," Morgan replied. He wasn't disappointed—well, maybe a little, but not too much. "Goodbye until then, I guess? I have to help Lucina figure out what route to take home."

He gave a small wave, and turned to leave. However, Marth's voice made him stop.

"Wait, you said you wanted to give him something," she said, talking to Malin.

"Oh! Hey, Morgan?" Morgan turned back around when Malin said his name, and Malin pulled out a letter from his bag. "One of the villagers gave me this. It's addressed to Robin, so I thought you might want to take it to her."

Morgan nodded, taking the letter. "Thanks. Any idea what it's about?"

"Nope," Malin replied. "But make sure she gets it. I think it'll be important for that search of yours."

"All right. So…goodbye for real this time?" Morgan asked.

"Go ahead," Malin said. "Although I think we'll cross paths sooner than you think."

"See you then!" Morgan replied happily. Waving again, he looked at the letter as he headed towards Lucina and the others. Since he was curious, and Lucina was busy anyway, he unfolded the letter to read what it said (all the while telling himself that Robin would tell him its contents anyway).

Hey Robin,

Sorry I left so suddenly. I didn't mean to worry you, I swear! …I just wanted to look in to something. Yes, it involves the book and no, I'm not telling anyone else. And I'm being REALLY careful, too; I have a friend with me, so you don't need to worry.

From,

That Kid Who Left Without Warning

PS. Since I don't know who'll get this, I can't say my name. But compare handwriting and you should be able to guess from there!

Satisfied and slightly confused, Morgan folded the letter again, putting it with the rest of his things.

…

The trip back was uneventful, and Morgan was quick to track down Robin. She was in her room and, as per usual, she greeted him with a warm smile.

"You seem excited," she noted.

Morgan told her about the trip—leaving out the part where they were attacked by thieves—and ended it by showing her the letter. "One of the mercenaries gave me this. He said a villager brought it to him."

Robin took the letter and read it over. Once she was done, she pulled out another letter—this one much tinier and looked like it had been crumpled into a ball at some point—and held them side-by-side for a few moments.

After that, she laughed a little, sounding more than a bit relieved. "I honestly didn't expect for you to get something so quickly. This is from the same person that I was worried about…and with any luck, it's recent."

Morgan smiled at her, glad to see she was happy. "It doesn't look old. Oh! And the mercenary who gave it to me pretty much fit the description of the person you were looking for, too. I asked him to come with us, but he needed to stay with his friend."

"What was his name?" Robin asked, setting both letters aside.

"Malin. His friend told Lucina she wanted to stay anonymous."

Robin looked slightly disappointed, but it didn't last long. "Thank you, Morgan."

"I didn't do much, really," Morgan admitted. "I just talked to people."

"That's more than I could do," Robin replied. "I think your father would like to hear this as well. If you wouldn't mind getting straight to work, can you gather up some books for me?"

"I can do that!" Morgan said.

Robin smiled a bit and handed him a list of book titles. "If you can't find something or can't reach it, don't worry too much—just cross off the ones you have so I know what I'll need to get."

Morgan's reply was a firm nod, and he took the list to help his mother.