Rigged from the Start

Chapter 65

Small Moments, Large Conversations

Walking around again was hard, but it felt so good. Every step I took was tentative, cautious, and calculated as my bare feet padded against the infirmary's stone floor. It had taken over a week for my body to regain enough strength to even attempt this. Even now, despite resting and rehabilitating for so long, my body felt weak. My legs trembled, and every few steps I would reach for the nearby wall to steady myself.

"Easy, Samwise," Libra said as I paused in my steps and drew in a deep breath. "Do not push yourself too hard. There is no rush to get back on your feet."

A weak smile cracked my lips as I leaned against the wall. "Tell that to the Plegians."

That earned a stern glare from Libra. With a sigh, I hung my head and braced myself for the coming lecture.

"I hope you don't think you'll be rejoining the front lines anytime soon, Mr. Baggins," He said. Libra always called me Mr. Baggins whenever he was displeased with anything I did. He was kind of like a disapproving parent that way, and it always managed to irk me. "Fighting is far beyond your capabilities at the moment."

"Never said I would fight, and I never fight on the front lines," I replied, casting a grimacing smirk over my shoulder at the priest.

"Behind enemies lines counts too."

I hung my head. "Damn it."

The infirmary door opened, then closed.

"What are we damning now?" I heard Severa ask as she walked in, only for her to screech to a halt when she noticed me up and on my feet. Libra and I glanced at her, unsure if she was about to blow her top, applaud. Instead, she snorted and shook her head. "Really?"

"What?" I shrugged, wincing as the muscles in my shoulders and neck tightened.

Severa shook her head as a small laugh left her lips. "Libra, shouldn't he be-"

"Resting?" Libra finished for her. "He should, but he refuses to. So, I figured it would be better for him to try to do this under supervision rather than be stubborn later."

"Stubborn?" Severa remarked. "Have you ever met Sam before?"

"What's that supposed to mean?" I remarked as I leaned against the wall.

Severa rolled her eyes even as a wry smile crossed her face. "Libra, I'll take it from here."

Libra blinked. "But, I'm the healer in charge and-"

"And Sam won't do anything stupid with me nearby. Right, Sam?"

Both Severa and Libra gave me pointed looks. I tilted my head and flashed a smirk.

"Define stupid," Severa folded her arms and I winced. "Yes, I won't do anything stupid," I relented.

Severa nodded and turned her gaze to Libra. Libra uttered a heavy sigh before massaging his eyes.

"Fine," He muttered. "No leaving this room though. He's not ready for long walks."

Severa nodded. Satisfied, for the most part, Libra bowed his head and left, shutting the door behind him with a soft click. Once he was gone, I blew out a sputtering breath, suddenly feeling how weak my legs were beneath me. Severa must have noticed because she immediately moved to my side and steadied me with her hand.

"I'm good," I muttered.

"Sure you are," Severa replied, "and my hair isn't red."

I glanced at her then chuckled as I shook my head. "Fine," I relented, allowing her to guide me back to my small cot.

Once I sat down again, I uttered a heavy breath, realizing how drained walking around left me. My entire body shook as I drew in deep breaths. Still, I gave Severa a strained smile as she rifled through a nearby cabinet for a vulnerary. Once she found one, she popped the cork and handed it to me.

"Thanks," I muttered, before gulping a third of it down. When the vial left my lips, I returned my attention to Severa. "Wish we had these things where I'm from."

Severa raised her brow as she shut the cabinet. "Vulneraries don't exist in Wisconsin?"

"Magic doesn't exist, and, by extension, vulneraries."

I set the vial down on the table beside my cot and let out another long breath. Not a pained one, this time. The vulneraries were working quicker now that I was gaining more strength. It wouldn't be long before I could get out of the infirmary and back to my usual routine.

"You're looking better," Severa remarked as she leaned against the wall near the window, peering out towards the vast, Feroxi pine woods that lay behind the Longfort. She rubbed her arms as a slight shiver passed through her. "Why is it colder in here than in the barracks?"

I shrugged. "A draft, maybe?" I noticed Severa's more guarded posture as she continued looking out the window. Some concern filled me. "You alright?"

Severa scoffed. "I should be asking you that." She tucked her chin, lips thinning into a line as she stared at her feet a moment. "I was actually wondering if you wanted to talk about what happened. About what we saw."

A pit formed in my gut. I knew this conversation was coming. I knew Severa was going to ask about him at some point. She saw Grima, and she would have a myriad of questions. Part of me wondered if I even had the answers for most of them. Game logic was out the window, especially with Emmeryn alive. I had no clue what could happen now. However, that also meant there was no point keeping what I knew from Severa. She didn't deserve to be in the dark anymore.

Talking about it still scared me though.

"Fire away," I breathed.

Severa gave me a hesitant look. "Who did all of that to you?" She asked, gesturing at me and making me grimace.

I tucked my hands beneath my armpits, my fingers cold for some reason. Multiple aches and pains awoke on my torso as haunting memories of the Grimleal dungeon surfaced in my mind. My throat tightened when I recalled the dark walls and chains. Every breath left in a shallow pant as I remembered Grima standing in front of me, a filet knife in hand as he did whatever he wanted to do to me. My heart hammered in my chest when a brief flash of beetles crawling all over me rushed to the forefront of my thoughts.

"Sam?" Severa rushed from the wall to my side, taking a seat and placing a hand on my shoulder. "L-look, you don't have to- that was a stupid thing for me to ask."

"No, it wasn't. Just…" I swallowed hard then drew in a deep breath as I composed myself. "Probably not something you want to know about. Regardless, I'm alive and still in one piece."

"Barely," Severa replied. "But, yeah, I can see your point. No reason to delve into that when… when we've got that other bit to talk about."

"Yeah… him,"

"You mean it," Severa countered, her brow furrowed as her hand slid from my shoulder. "Sam, we both saw it- that thing with my father's skin. What was that?"

A grave feeling entered my heart. I did not know how Severa was going to react to learning the truth. But, this was no longer my secret to keep, and it was no longer acceptable in my mind to keep it from her. We had been through too much together for me to not trust her anymore. So, I turned to face her, and looked her in the eyes, bracing myself for whatever came next.

"That was Grima," I whispered.

Severa did not react right away. It was as if whatever I said went in one ear and out the other; a strange silent denial.

Then, her red eyes widened. Her face turned as pale as a ghost. Her hand fell from my shoulder, hitting the mattress with a soft pat. A glaze came over her gaze, and she shook her head in disbelief.

"That-that can't be true," Severa breathed. "Grima is a dragon. He's not even supposed to be alive right now, he's-"

"He followed us," I continued, causing Severa's entire body to tense.

"But-but," Severa sagged in her seat, her shoulders falling as she shook her head. "No, he's a dragon that's as big as a city. That thing couldn't be him."

"It is," I replied.

Severa looked me in the eye. "How do you know?" She shot to her feet, her voice rising with panic and fear. "How could you possibly know that's true? It could be lying for all we know!"

"It's not because it lines up with the stories I know," I replied, my voice remaining level and calm. Severa's mouth fell open as more fear filled her. I winced as I forced myself to my feet and stood in front of her. "Severa, in the stories, Grima could not rise again without help. The Grimleal knew this, so they created a vessel for him to occupy once he was ready to rise again."

"A vessel?" Severa gulped. "W-well, we need to destroy that vessel, right? Do that and maybe we can prevent Grima from rising in this timeline. Then we only have to focus on the walking bag of bones that captured you."

"Severa-"

"I mean," Severa's words came out at a panicked clip as she paced back and forth between me and the window, "how hard could it be, right? Stick the vessel with the business end of a sword and ta-da, problem solved."

"Severa-" I caught her before she could spin back to the window again. I gently held her by her shoulders, fingers putting almost no pressure against her arms, and gave her a sympathetic look. "Your father is the vessel."

She froze in my grip, eyes wide with complete disbelief. A scoff left her lips and she shook her head.

"You're lying," She whispered.

I closed my eyes and sighed. "I wish I was," My hands slipped from her shoulders and I opened my eyes. An unreadable expression set on her face as she stayed completely still. "Robin is meant to be Grima's vessel. That's why Grima looked like your father when we saw him in Doluna's Palace."

Severa's gaze remained absent as she brushed by me, taking a pair of shaky steps before slumping to a seat at the end of my cot. She hunched over, hands running over her face as different shades of grief flashed over her features. When her hands fell to her knees, they balled up into tight fists.

"What now?" She croaked.

I managed to walk back to my cot and sit down beside her. A deep breath left my lips. "I don't know."

"What do you mean: 'you don't know'?" Severa asked, a sharp bite in her tone. "You have those stories, right? What happens now?"

"I don't know," I repeated, staying calm. "Emmeryn wasn't supposed to live this long. With her alive, the entire story changes, and I do not know the results. Any knowledge I have at this point is useless." I ran a hand over my head as another worried sigh puffed from my mouth. "I'm also not exactly sure what this means in regards to Robin."

Severa whipped her gaze to me. "What do you mean?"

"Well, what I mean is everything is kinda fucked," I said plainly. "If we kill one Grima, another is there to fill the void. On top of that, the Robin of this timeline is not Grima, and he has no memories of being groomed to be the Fell Dragon's vessel. He's, for all intents and purposes, your father still. And, well, I'm not exactly sure what we do about that."

Severa's face turned ashen. "You don't think we have to kill him, do you?"

"No," I shook my head. "Robin is still Robin. Killing him makes us murderers and I'm not interested in becoming that." I ran a hand over my chin as I pondered the situation. "I think all we can do right now is play it by ear."

"Play it by ear?" Severa hissed. "My father is the Fell Dragon. Meanwhile, Grima followed us to the past and is running around Doluna doing Naga knows what. All of our friends are still scattered. Gawds, we're still at war with Plegia too, and you want to play all of this by ear!?"

All I could do was give Severa a defeated shrug. "It's worked so far?"

Severa gaped at me. "You've been…" She scoffed and looked away. "Wow, that makes so much more sense."

I arched an eyebrow. "Did you really think I knew what I was doing this whole time?"

"Not the whole time!" Severa snapped, folding her arms and sniffing. "Just thought you weren't improvising everything."

"Not everything," I replied. "I've gotten a little bit better at all this over time."

Severa snorted. "Well, doesn't exactly matter now, does it?" She swallowed hard as she pulled on her fingers. Then, a look of complete sorrow hit her. I saw some tears misting her eyes. It was as if everything we said hit her all at once. "Oh gawds, my father is Grima."

Before I could say anything, Severa shot to her feet. I could see her trembling as she took several steps towards the door. I wanted to follow her, but all of my strength was spent. Soon, I would only have enough energy to eat, relieve myself, and lie down again. That didn't stop me from trying though. I winced as I tried to get to my feet, only for Severa to glance over her shoulder as she opened the infirmary door.

"Severa, I-"

"S-Sam," Severa's throat bobbed as she struggled with her words. "Rest, okay? I, um, I just need to get some air. Be alone for a little while."

The door shut behind her with a soft click. Once she was gone, I was alone in the infirmary again.

My eyes closed. I uttered a long, defeated groan. My head fell into my hands and my fingers raked through my hair.

Way to go Sam. I shook my head and raised my gaze enough to glance at the nearby window. Way to go.

Being in bed is terribly dull. I mean really, really dull. As I waited for the hours to pass, watching the dim sunlight from Regna Ferox's gray skies filter in and out of the infirmary window, I had to wonder how I managed to stay sane back home.

Whenever I wasn't working in Wisconsin, I was in my apartment, likely in bed doing nothing. Nothing usually meant watching TV, watching Youtube, playing video games, but in the grand scheme of things they were nothing. Given the way I have been living in Archanea, racing to catch the latest episode of my favorite show felt so trivial in hindsight.

Yet, as I sat on my cot, on top of my sheets, bored out of my skull; I wished I had something mind-numbing in front of me. I wish I had a book to read, at the very least. A part of me hoped Sumia, or one of the other Shepherds, would come into the infirmary and deliver a novel to read.

Hell, I'll take one of Miriel's gargantuan textbooks on magical theory at this point. I thought, a tired sigh leaving my lips.

Boredom was not the only reason I wanted a distraction. The lack of something to do allowed my mind to wander to places I did not want it to go. Not only did I recall my torture within the Grimleal Temple dungeons; I also replayed my conversation with Severa in vivid detail. Every single word I said to her I scrutinized. Every twitch of her brow, frown on her lips, and shock in her eyes, I pondered.

I said something wrong, and I knew it. How did I know? Severa was quiet. She didn't yell or storm out of the infirmary. She left with a quiet comment and a soft click of the door. That worried me.

My head fell back against the wall behind me. Great job, Samuel Wheeler. Anna always said you were exceptional at shoving your foot in your mouth.

A knock sounded against my door, making all of my thoughts freeze. I whipped my gaze to the door as it creaked open.

"Samwise," Morgan's head popped around the door, "you awake?"

I blinked. "Yeah?"

"Splendid!" Another voice declared. Owain burst through the door, nearly knocking Morgan over as he strutted into the infirmary. The blond swordsman gave me a broad smile. "Behold! Samwise the Brave is alive, well, and sitting up! Nothing- nay- not even the dastardly Grimleal themselves, could keep him from accomplishing his mission and surviving to see the fruits of labor!"

Morgan snickered as they both approached my bedside, her hands behind her back as she walked. "That's one way to put it. But, in all seriousness, Samwise, thank you for what you did. Also, don't tell Libra we're here. He said you needed to rest."

I rolled my eyes. "God, the last thing I feel like I need is more rest."

Both Morgan and Owain blinked. My brow furrowed in confusion when they spun around and began muttering to each other, their voices so low I couldn't make out the entire conversation. After a couple of seconds, their muttering stopped, and then they spun back around.

"Ta-da!" Morgan smiled, holding up a gnarled cane. "Now we can get you out of here."

"Yes!" Owain declared. "It is time for Samwise to remove the shackles of his infirmary cot, step forth from the realm of healers, and stride back onto the battlements again."

A chuckle bubbled from my throat. "You two realize that Libra will throw an absolute fit if he finds out I'm up and about."

Morgan gave me a mischievous grin. "He won't throw a fit if he never finds out."

I raised an eyebrow. "How do you plan on managing that?"

Morgan furrowed her brow, brought a hand to her chin, and hummed as she wracked her brain. Her red eyes flicked around the room, before landing on the cot across from me. Specifically, she eyed the pillow on it.

"Owain, pillows," She ordered.

"Of course, oh scheming one," Owain grinned.

Owain gathered pillows and Morgan held the cane out to me. When Owain returned with three pillows in his arms, I picked up on what they wanted to do.

"Juvenile," I swung my legs out and grasped the cane from Morgan, "but, clever." With a deep breath, I stood up, putting most of my weight on the cane. "Where did you get this thing anyways?"

Owain did not answer. He was too busy shoving the three pillows beneath my blanket, arranging them to look like a slumbering body. Morgan answered instead.

"We got it from Anna," She replied with a toothy smile.

I raised a skeptical eyebrow. "Bought it or borrowed it?"

"Stole it," Morgan replied, not even blinking.

I paled and swallowed hard. "Oh… well, that's two people we need to make sure don't find out about this."

Morgan waved off my concern. "Don't worry about it. Anna loves me. Come on, we're going up to the walls. Ready, Owain?"

"Absolutely!" Owain chirped, ruffling my sheets to make them look used.

"Good," Morgan gestured to the door. "Shall we, Mr. Baggins?"

I wanted to be nervous. It was one thing to disobey Libra. The priest was amazingly forgiving, even if his chiding could be stern. But, to steal anything from Anna usually meant punishment. Not a stern talking to, not a scolding, not even a slap on the wrist. Anna would get her retribution if she found out, and it would be painful and swift.

But, boredom felt worse. Besides, this way, I may be able to find Severa and maybe try talking to her again. This time, I might not shove my boot all the way down my throat.

So, I nodded to Morgan. "Lead the way."

There wasn't much to see from on top of the Longfort. To the south, vast open wasteland sprawled out for miles, eventually buttressing up to the first dunes in the Plegian desert. To the north, pine forests; lots and lots of pine forests. It made the Northwoods area of Wisconsin look sparse by comparison. Looking at those views quickly became boring for my two energetic companions.

So, after spending a few minutes on top of the Longfort, and figuring out a way for me to navigate the stairs back down it; me, Morgan, and Owain made our way to the Shepherds' barracks. Doing this was a risky move, but at this point, I didn't care. The change in scenery alone was doing wonders for my health, in my opinion. While I did feel tired and out of breath as I shuffled along after Morgan and Owain, I didn't feel exhausted, and not even remotely bored.

Morgan held the door to the barracks open for me. Once I stepped inside, I was hit by warmth radiating from a roaring fire. The smell of strong firewine swirling in wooden tankards reached me next. Then, a cheer erupted from the Shepherds that were enjoying the evening in the common room.

"Well look who's finally walking!" Sully exclaimed from a fur-covered sofa. She punched Vaike, who sat beside her. "Told ya he'd be back up and at 'em soon."

"Teach never doubted he would," Vaike defended as he massaged his shoulder. "He just thought Samwise would take a little while longer."

"Don't look like he needs a while longer," Donnel said from a spot near the common room's kitchen space. Maribelle stood by the stove in the kitchen, drinking teas as she watched Frederick cook something in a large, cast-iron pot. "Besides, don't do a person no good to remain all cooped up the way he was. Ma always made me go wandering once I was able to handle it after hurting myself."

"Have you ever been tortured to near death?" Cordelia asked the farmer as she sat on a chair near the kitchen, her eyes rising from a book she had in her lap.

Donnel paled. "W-well, no ma'am- er- Miss Cordelia- er Lady's the proper title, ain't it?"

"Damn, Cordelia," Sully guffawed, gesturing at Donnel with her tankard. "Yet another guy ya made sputter. What's the count at now?"

"There's a count?" Cordelia remarked, confused and a bit flustered.

"I'd bet money on it," Gaius shrugged. I finally spotted him sitting at a round table with Stahl, Panne, Virion, and Kellam. A stack of coins rested on top of the table, and all of them had playing cards in their hands. Miriel and Nah both hovered near the table, with Nah looking quite bored and Miriel completely enthralled with the game taking place. "What do you think, Whiskers? How many men have swooned at the sight of Lady Kindall?"

Panne arched an eyebrow, her gaze darting between her cards and Gaius. "Is this part of the card game?" She whipped her head to Stahl. "Is there yet another rule I was previously not made aware of?"

"Uh, no," Stahl shuffled his cards between his fingers. "This is a different bet. Nice to see you up and moving, Samwise."

"If this is another bet then how can I…" Panne trailed off and shook her head. "Manspawn and their confusing games."

"Care to join our confusing game, Lucky?" Gaius asked as Owain shut the door behind me and Morgan.

"Thanks, but I think I need to sit down first," I replied, my voice coming out in a light rasp as I realized how taxing walking around was on my body.

"There is a seat open by the fire," Frederick said, not taking his eyes from his task of stirring whatever was in the cast-iron pot. If it was dinner then it smelled divine. "Donnel, pass me some garlic cloves."

"Shouldn't you still be in bed?" Maribelle asked as I shuffled to the open chair next to the fire.

I let out a satisfied sigh as I sank onto the chair, the fur and the fire comforting me more than the sheets in the infirmary could. Once I sat, I set my 'borrowed' cane to the side and turned my head to Maribelle. A smirk crossed my lips, then I brought a finger to my lips.

"Ha!" Sully smacked her thigh. "I like him more and more. I'll pay money to see how Libra reacts to this."

"What money?" Gaius teased. "You already lost it all to me."

"Bah! I'll get it back somehow," Sully replied with a dismissive wave. Then she took a long drink from her tankard.

Maribelle frowned at me but did not reply. She simply took another sip of her tea then turned her attention to talking to Donnel. Owain swept by me, handing me a tankard of firewine, before racing towards the game table. I took a quick sip, nodded as the liquor burned down my throat, then leaned back into my chair.

The fire crackled and popped, the noises creating a soothing, cozy atmosphere that made me sink further into the chair. Morgan pulled another chair over and took a seat beside me. Once she sat, she folded her legs and gave me a mischievous grin.

"So… you and Severa?" She asked right as I took a sip of firewine.

I choked on the firewine. Harsh coughs wracked my lungs. The other Shepherds howled at my expense.

"Good job, short stuff," Sully cackled, shooting a wink to Morgan.

"Thanks, but I am curious about it," Morgan grinned at me. "She's been visiting you a lot."

Once I caught my breath, I swallowed hard and held my tankard in both hands. "She's just making sure I'm okay."

"Yeah," Vaike snorted. "Making sure he's okay."

Gaius's head fell to the table as snorts mixed with his quiet chuckles. Frederick flicked an amused glance over his shoulder, before returning his attention to cooking. Donnel looked a bit puzzled, Cordelia wasn't paying much attention, and Maribelle had a small smile on her pale face.

"I'll have you know, Samwise," Maribelle cut in. "Severa seems like quite the strong and self-reliant woman. If you are indeed courting her-"

"Oh for Pete's sake," I groaned, hiding my eyes behind my hand. But, I could not hide the intense blush that shot over my cheeks faster than a scarlet ray of sunlight during sunset.

"I knew it!" Morgan cried, pointing at my face. "You like Severa! Haha! Owain, you owe me a favor now."

I shook my head, took a quick sip of firewine, then glanced at Morgan. "Severa and I are good friends. We work well together, and we trust each other."

Gaius snorted from his seat. "Yeah, and you love-"

"One more word, Gaius," I threatened, "and I'm stealing your stash."

Gaius whipped his gaze to me. "You wouldn't dare."

"Anna would help me too," I pointed out, making the thief go silent while more laughter filled the common room. Gaius returned his attention to Panne and the cards in their hands.

"Stash?" Panne's nose twitched behind her cards. "Does he mean your money?"

"No, he means something far more precious than money," Gaius grumbled, casting me a sidelong glance. "Still doesn't change the fact that you've got the hots for Ginger."

"I don't-" An exasperated sigh left my lips and I massaged my eyes. "God, this isn't going to go away, is it?"

"Nope," Morgan said, popping the 'p'. "If you like her so much, I bet you're gonna be so worried about her when the Plegians arrive here." My eyes widened and my throat tightened. "No worries though. She'll be on the walls and she'll kick butt, like me."

"The walls?" I parroted, now worried and confused.

The Longfort was never the sight of a major battle in the game. During the game's story, Chrom, Khan Flavia, and Khan Basilio all led an army that clashed with the Plegians somewhere in the Wasteland south of the Feroxi border. Why would that change?

I sagged in my seat. It changed because Chrom is not ruling Ylisse; Emmeryn is. Chrom is a far more aggressive leader than Emmeryn. He wanted to charge into Plegia and get revenge or justice for what happened to Emmeryn in the game. But, since Emmeryn never died in this timeline, that was no longer a possibility. The Exalt wasn't going to invade Plegia. She was going to let the Plegians come to her.

All of my knowledge from the game really is useless now.

"Yeah, the walls," Morgan nodded. "Exalt Emmeryn, Chrom, Robin, Marth, and the Khans are all working on getting a strategy together. I wanted to help but Lissa dragged me out before I could say anything. We had some lunch together. After that…" She drummed her fingers against the armrest of her chair, face screwing up as she tried to recall her day. "Huh… guess my memory isn't just bad at the long-term stuff. Anyways-"

"We will be fighting the Plegians from a position of strength," A voice cut in, making all chatter in the room come to a standstill.

Prince Chrom, Robin, and Marth all marched into the barracks with Lissa and Lon'qu trailing behind them. But, they didn't shut the door. The last person to enter the barracks shut the door. Nervousness filled me when I saw Severa slip to a far corner of the room, away from me. I did see her glance at me though, but she flicked her eyes away when she saw me spot her.

Chrom moved to the center of the room. Meanwhile, a few more Shepherds emerged from the bunkroom further within the barracks. Tharja and Henry took seats near the kitchen, making Cordelia and Frederick thoroughly uncomfortable in the process. Sumia tip-toed her way around me and took a seat beside Vaike, a book beneath her arm. She blushed when Chrom smiled at her. Sully snorted, reached around Vaike, and gave Sumia's shoulder a good shove, causing the Pegasus Knight's blush to darken.

Finally, Libra and Anna waltzed in. When they spotted me, I shrank.

"That's where that cane went!" Anna cried, giving me a murderous glare.

"Samwise…" Libra said in a disapproving tone.

"It can wait, you two," Chrom said, silencing both of them. He drew in a deep breath, exhaled then addressed us. "Shepherds, we received intelligence from scouts that the Plegian army is only a day away from the Longfort now." Grim expressions abounded in the room at that news, and I was no exception. "As a result," Chrom continued, "Exalt Emmeryn and Khan Flavia convened a strategy meeting with myself, Robin, Khan Basilio, Marth, Severa, and General Mustafa present."

I blinked. Severa was at the strategy meeting?

Oh, we were Plegian scouts… right.

"During the meeting-" Chrom folded his hands behind his back as he kept talking "-we devised a plan of action. Robin will go into specifics, but to summarize: we will be staying here, at the Longfort. We will wait for the Plegian army to come to us."

"And then we will kick their ass!" Vaike bellowed, shooting up from his seat and pounding his bare chest with his fist.

"Here here!" Sully declared while the other Shepherds' threw out their own words of agreement.

Chrom smiled at them, nodding his thanks before turning to Robin. At that point, Morgan leaned forward in her seat, her brow furrowed as she paid close attention to the words her father was about to say.

Robin shuffled uncomfortably, his hands darting into his pockets, as everyone stared at him. A small cough sputtered from his lips, one he stifled before talking.

"Alright, this is the part where I give out assignments," He said, voice quick. "Frederick; you, Vaike, and Kellam will be assigned to Khan Basilio's group at the gate. You will make certain it is not breached and, if all goes according to plan, you will provide reinforcements to the battlements later in the battle."

"Understood," Frederick replied with a grim nod.

"Virion," Robin continued, turning to the archer as he set his cards down on the table, "you'll be with the archers and mages on the towers. Miriel, Ricken, Tharja, and Henry will join you. I want long-range volleys hitting the enemy as they approach the wall. We do not want to give them any time to get coordinated. Tharja, Henry, you'll lead the charge on countering whatever spells the Grimleal have in store for us. We cannot afford for hellfire to rain down on us."

Henry snickered and Bill cawed. "Hellfire, hm? Perhaps I shall give my former colleagues a taste of it? What do you think, Tharja?"

Tharja folded her arms and said nothing.

"I like your spirit!" Henry chirped, earning an eye roll from his fellow dark mage.

"Gregor, Stahl, Sully, Severa, Lon'qu, Owain, Morgan, you all will join me, Chrom, and Marth on the battlements. That will be the primary objective for the Plegian army. Take the wall, they take the Longfort. Cordelia and Sumia will join the Pegasus Knights in the air. Commander Phila has more in-depth details for you two."

"Understood," Both Cordelia and Sumia nodded.

"Libra will lead our healers on the front line. Maribelle, Lissa, you will join Exalt Emmeryn in the rear and tend to the wounded evacuated there." Finally, Robin's gaze turned to me. "You're in no condition to fight. But, it seems you're up and moving, which is good. You can move fast, from what I understand?"

"Yeah?" I hesitantly replied.

"Excellent," Robin nodded. "You'll work with Gaius and Anna as message runners. Communication is key in battle, and we cannot afford to have any part of our defense in the dark." Before anyone could say anything about that, Robin turned to Nah and Nowi. "You two are our last resorts. If the gate is breached or the walls are overwhelmed, feel free to transform and wreak havoc while the army retreats inland."

"Okay!" Nowi chirped, giving Robin a toothy grin. Nah just nodded her head.

"Do we all understand our assignments?" Robin asked, looking around the room. When no one replied, he gave us a grim nod. "That's that then."

"This is going to be a hellish battle," Chrom stated. "The Plegians will show us no mercy. They will give us no quarter. But, we must hold firm. We must win this battle. If we defeat Gangrel, we can end this war right here, right now."

"Hell yeah!" Sully bellowed, starting a chorus of hollers and cheers from the other Shepherds. As they roared, I sat still, a small smile spreading on my lips.

Nothing like being part of a team.

"So, enjoy this night, Shepherds," Chrom continued, his voice rising. "For tomorrow, we fight!"

The Shepherds roared in approval. Firewine flew through the air, hands clapped, feet stomped, and fists beat chests.

Then, the party began. Firewine bottles popped open, tankards were filled, bowls of piping hot stew were handed out, and someone broke out a lute for Gaius to strum. I started to enjoy the festivities when I spotted Severa rise from her seat in the corner of the room and quietly make her way to me.

"Hey, Sam, can we talk?"

I gulped. "Sure."

Severa glanced around the room, making sure no one was listening to us. "In private?"

That made me feel even more nervous. Nevertheless, I grasped my cane, rose to my feet, and gestured for her to lead the way. Silently, Severa moved to the barracks door, and I followed. As we weaved our way to the door, I was busy trying to get my story straight and bracing myself for whatever was coming.

Twilight covered the sky, shooing away the gray clouds and washing the world in deep scarlets, vibrant pinks, and inky indigos speckled with twinkling stars. Bitter wind snapped through the air in quick breezes, slipping through my clothes and making me shiver.

My boots crunched against the dirt and gravel outside the barracks as I shuffled along, leaning heavily on my cane. Finally, after a few more steps, Severa came to a stop. I uttered a heavy sigh and leaned against the Longfort wall. Severa folded her arms, her eyes not meeting mine as she shivered in the cold breeze.

"Gawds," Severa stomped a foot and rubbed her arms. "Damn cold."

I snorted. "You're the one who wanted to come out here."

"Don't remind me," Severa grumbled, reaching up to brush some red locks from her face, only for the wind to brush it over her eyes again. She uttered a heavy breath and finally turned to look at me. "We need to talk about earlier."

I grimaced. "Figured." I shoved my free hand into one of my pockets. My lips thinned. "I'm guessing you're not very happy with me."

Severa furrowed her brow. "It's… it's not that." Her eyes closed as she took a breath to collect herself. "I'm not mad at you Sam. I'm-I'm kind of tired of always being angry, honestly. Hell, if there was one time you probably should have not said something, earlier was it."

I cringed. "I could've handled that conversation better, yeah. But, you deserved to know, and I sure don't have the right to keep that information from you."

Her lips thinned into a line as she digested my words. A long breath exhaled through her nose as her jaw worked back and forth.

"I don't know what to do about it, Sam," She mumbled. "I mean… my father is Grima and-"

"From what I can see your father is in that barracks," I replied, my voice soft and calm. Severa's eyes widened. "Severa, Grima is not your father. Your father is Robin and will always be Robin. Just because he's meant to be a vessel doesn't mean that's who he is. And, I probably should have done a better job of saying that, but you know me; I'm not the best with words."

A crooked smile twitched on Severa's face as she kicked at the dirt. "Yeah, well… not wrong there." She bit her lip as she thought about something for a moment. "I guess you're right, Sam. Also, give yourself a little more credit. You're better with words than you think. Better than me, at least."

I chuckled. "Fair enough." I drew in a breath. "So, what are you going to do?"

"About what you told me?" I nodded and Severa pursed her lips. Then, she shook her head. "I still don't know."

"You're not going to tell Lucina?"

Severa's eyes widened. "I think that would be a very bad idea right now. If there's one person that's lost as much as me, if not more, to Grima, it's Lucy. You heard her the entire way to the ice fields. Our mission is everything to her. If she found out that my father was a vessel for Grima I…" Her voice choked up a little. "I'm not sure what she'd do."

"You think she'd kill him?" I asked.

"I just told you: I don't know," Severa huffed. "Until I can get a better gauge of what she'd do, I think it'd be best for us to keep this information to ourselves."

A hesitant look crossed my features. "Secrets like this are not good. I'm speaking from experience there."

"Yeah, well, secrets are sometimes necessary; I learned that in Doluna," Severa countered, causing me to snort out a laugh. She got me there. "Just, let me handle this. Especially when it comes to telling Morgan. She- gawds, it's like she's ten all over again."

"A bundle of mischief and giggles?" I chuckled.

"Insufferably cheerful, you mean," Severa said with a wry grin. "She's a gawds damned gremlin again, I swear. Although, it's kinda nice to see. She became so withdrawn in those last few days in the future. It's- it's good to have her back." Her brow furrowed as her smile faded. "I still wonder how she made it when we saw her…" She trailed off as her throat tightened.

I reached out and brushed a hand against her shoulder. "Hey, Morgan's around now, right? Does it matter how she got here?"

"I guess not," Severa mumbled. "Do you know how it happened?"

"Not a damn clue," I replied, earning a snort from Severa.

"Figures." She massaged her arm then leaned against the wall. "You gonna be alright when the Plegians arrive, Sam?"

I shrugged. "I'm a messenger. Shouldn't be too crazy."

"Say that when the swords come out," Severa scoffed, but not in a derisive way. She sounded worried more than anything else. "Look, Sam, if things get too crazy please stay near the rear. You're not ready for a fight. Naga, you can barely stand right now."

I waved off her concern. "Force a few vulneraries down my throat and I'll be good."

"I'm serious, Sam!" Severa snapped. "This isn't like one of our little scouting missions or a bandit encounter. This isn't even like the skirmish on Mount Prism." My throat bobbed when she mentioned that terrible fight. "This is a full-scale battle. This is going to be like Grima sacking Arena Ferox, only a lot more blood and screaming from both sides. I mean, can you even swing your kukri right now?"

I grimaced, took my eyes off of Severa, and glanced at my feet. "Probably not."

"Then please, Sam, stay near the rear," She pleaded. "I don't-" Her voice cracked. I looked up and saw her fighting back tears. "Look, I don't want to lose any more people I care about and when you pulled that stupid shit in Doluna, I-"

"Sev," I leaned my cane against the wall and gently placed my hands on her shoulders, quieting her. "I don't plan on going anywhere, okay?"

Severa sniffed hard and nodded.

"Now," I gave her a wry smirk. "If I promise to stay safe, you need to do the same thing."

Severa blinked. "You're expecting me to stay safe on a battlefield?"

I snorted. "I'm expecting you to kick ass on the battlefield."

The caused a loud laugh to burst from her lips. "You already know I'll do that."

"Good," I nodded. "Then I've got nothing to worry about." My hands fell from her shoulders and I plucked my cane and leaned on it again, wincing as my legs ached from standing for so long. After taking a shaky breath, I nodded back at the barracks' door. "Wanna head back in?"

Severa bit her lip then gave me a hesitant nod. We only managed to get a few steps towards the door, though, when she paused and grasped my hand.

"Sam, one more thing."

"Yeah?"

Her eyes darted side to side as she kept her grip on my fingers. "Why did you do it?"

I gave her a puzzled look. "Do what?"

Severa rolled her eyes. "Gawds, you're dense. Why did you sacrifice yourself the way you did for… for a bunch of story characters?"

My chest tightened. I had almost forgotten I said that to her. I called her, her family, the Shepherds, story characters. Looking back on it, I made it sound like that's all they were to me.

Yet, the longer I lived in this world, the more I realized that wasn't the case. This wasn't a story that I could predict or manipulate, and I shouldn't try to do that. These were real people, with real lives, and real consequences to live through.

Severa was not a story character.

"Because," I took a breath and nodded, "it was the right thing to do, Severa. And-and you're not a story character to me. None of you are. You, the Shepherds, our scouts, are my friends. If the same situation happened again, I'd gladly do the same thing again."

Severa blinked, stunned. A light, pink tint washed over her cheeks as she continued to avert her gaze from mine. She shifted her weight from one foot to the other, then gave my hand a light squeeze.

"Well, don't get mad if I ever do the same," She replied.

I snickered as we walked back to the barracks hand in hand. "Severa, do you have any idea how many times you've saved my life?"

Severa hummed. "Not sure."

"Well, there was Gra," I said.

"Last I checked, you somehow talked us out of that mess," Severa pointed out. "But I guess I slashed our way through some rough situations too."

"The Doluna slums," I pointed out.

"Do you honestly think Gaius would have killed you?" Severa retorted as we neared the door.

I paused before grabbing the door. "Southtown?"

Severa hummed, then nodded. "Yeah, that happened. Good thing I found you, hm?" She pulled the door open.

"From how you treated me back then, I wasn't sure it was a good thing, at first."

Severa gave me a playful shove, forgetting that I had about as much balance as a pirate with two peg legs. With a sharp cry, I stumbled to the side and fell in a heap beside the door.

"Oh gawds, Sam!" Severa cried.

All I could do was laugh. I might as well enjoy the small moments. After all, the Plegians were going to reach the Longfort tomorrow. There won't be much laughter when horns blast, swords are drawn, and blood is spilled. For now, though, I wasn't going to think about all of that.

And chapter! Small moments yeah, but talk about some heavy conversations, althought we did have some lighthearted low stakes fun in there too. Writing Morgan as a space cadet, gremlin is very fun. It will be very interesting to see how Sam and Severa handle their knowledge about Grima going forward. I don't think Lucina will be too pleased when she finds out they were keeping that from her.

Anyways, let me know what you all think of this chapter! As always, I hope you all enjoyed it! Have a nice day!

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