Author's Notes:

The geography of Valm is a bit different in my story, partly because it fits my story better, and partly because it doesn't make sense for it to be the smallest nation in Valm in the first place. I don't think too many people will have problems with it, as it doesn't make too big of an impact.

Just outside of Peaceful Village, Ylisse…

The shepherds had just gotten rid of some local bandits and recruited a new member, Anna. They set up a camp outside of Peaceful Village, and were about to take it easy for the night. Chrom was standing outside his tent, enjoying the cool, nighttime air and having a conversation with Robin.

"I've actually been quite impressed." Robin was saying. "You make a fine ruler, Chrom. You've come a long ways from just tending sheep!"

Chrom laughed. "Have I really changed that much? It doesn't feel like it."

"Hmm… in a way, you haven't." Robin responded. "But you've grown as a leader, and of course, as a father."

Chrom snickered. "Yes, I do miss baby Lucina. But it's all right, because I know she's being taken care of well. Even with Sumia here besides me."

Robin nodded. "Ah yes. I heard that House Ylisse often wet nurses their children." he chuckled. "I guess baby Lucina is no exception."

Chrom sighed. "I've tried to do my best, but my sister left me a weighty legacy. I'm not sure if my best is even enough."

"Your best always will be, Chrom. Anything that you can't hold up, the rest of us will help with." Robin said, comforting him.

Frederick ran up to them. "Milord!" he said with alarm in his voice.

"Frederick?" Chrom asked in surprise. "Is something wrong?"

"Milord!" The Great Knight exclaimed. "There's a messenger from Regna Ferox."

"Wait… Regna Ferox? How did they know we'd be out here?" Chrom wondered aloud.

"Well, milord," Frederick began. "This path DOES lead to Ylisstol. I happened to chance upon them as I was patrolling the area. It's not everyday you see armored knights from Ferox strolling down Ylisse's paths."

Chrom nodded. "And what did they have to say?"

"The khans request your presence at a summit as soon as you're able." Frederick recited. "Apparently there have been signs that the Valmese on the continent of Valm to our west are planning to invade soon."

"An invasion? You're certain that is what they said?" Robin questioned.

"Yes. The khans want to meet with you as soon as possible." Frederick summarized.

"Hmm… what do you think?" Robin asked Chrom.

"If they asked for us as soon as possible, it must be urgent… I don't think it wise for us to return to Ylisstol if we are to set off as soon as we can…" Chrom made up his mind. "Inform everyone to get ready to march for Regna Ferox tomorrow morning." he told Frederick. The Great Knight nodded, and went off.

"There's the possibility of another war looming…" Robin murmured.

"Yeah, I don't like it one bit." Chrom agreed.

"Well, tomorrow's another day… better get some rest Chrom." Robin said as he turned around and left. Chrom nodded, and went back into his own tent, where Sumia was waiting.

"I heard everything." Sumia told him. "We're going to Ferox tomorrow, right?"

Chrom only nodded. "Don't worry, it'll be fine!" his wife tried to comfort him. "We're all by your side, after all!"

Chrom let out a smile. "Yes, I know. It's just… I'm not sure if Ylisse can take another war…"

"We can cross that bridge when we get there. There's no use worrying about that right now." Sumia told him.

Chrom sighed. "Yes dear, you're right."

The next morning…

The shepherds made their way to the capital of Ferox. The khans were a little surprised by how soon they were able to arrive, but it was a pleasant surprise. The shepherds were welcomed with open arms. Chrom, Robin and Frederick went off to the Feroxi conference room to discuss the matter with Flavia, while the rest of the shepherds lounged about in the main atrium. Some of them conversed with Anna and got her caught up with that was happening. No one noticed Virion slip away.

"One of your attendants filled me in." Chrom told the Flavia when they got to the conference room. "Is it true that Valmese ships are sailing towards us as we speak? What more can you tell us?"

Flavia sighed. "Not much more than that, I'm afraid. The details we got from our scouts were hazy at best. Not many of them made it back. Just a moment... " she walked to the back exit and stuck her head out the door. "Oaf! Where are you you big, bald bull?! Chrom is here!"

After a few moments, Basilio walked in. "Ah! My boy! I knew you'd come." he paused for a moment. "Although, I didn't expect you to here quite so early. Didn't we just send the messenger out yesterday evening?" he turned to Flavia.

"Apparently they ran into Chrom's company while they were exterminating some bandits in northern Ylisse." Flavia explained.

"Anyways, there's someone else you should hear from. I believe you've met? She claims to have insight on Valm's intentions."

Basilio gestured to the back door, and two people walked in. The first was a woman wearing the armor of a wyvern rider, with long, dark pink hair. The other was an archer quite familiar to the Ylissean members of the room.

"Good day, Lords and Ladies! Allow me the great pleasure of introducing myself…" Virion began.

"We all know who you are, Virion." Chrom interrupted. "But I believe we haven't met your companion?" he gestured to the pink haired woman.

"Hmph!" The archer protested. "You know nothing! Prepare for my great unmasking!" he flaunted his arms out theatrically. "Long have I posed as the archest of archers, yet that was but a ruse! Yea, I disguised myself as a mere, above average man, but in truth, I am-"

The woman cleared her throat. "May I present Duke Virion. I am his humble retainer, Cherche." she turned to Chrom and Robin. "Greetings, sires. You honor us with your presence."

"Cherche!" Virion protested. "You stole my moment!"

Chrom nodded. "A pleasure, Cherche. Perhaps you could speak on your master's behalf?" Cherche nodded. "That may speed things along…" she admitted. "Then please." Chrom replied. "Time is of the essence."

"Very well." Cherche said. "First concerning our origins… We hail from Rosanne, a fertile kingdom on the continent of Valm. Milord is the head of House Virion, and the rightful ruler of Rosanne. A fact that he often reminds us of… and loudly."

Virion snorted. "Is she not a true wit? She gets it all from me, y'know."

"So what brings a noble and his charge all the way across the long sea?" Chrom asked.

"The Valmese." Virion replied. "They are the largest, and most militant of the Valmese nations. They've been quiet for quite a while, but suddenly, Walhart the Conqueror overthrew the last emperor. Once he came into power, they militarized and invaded the rest of the continent. I had no choice but to ru…" Virion nervously looked around for a brief moment. "Er… no choice but to RECRUIT new allies to aid my people." he finished.

"You fled for your life." Robin translated for him.

"More or less, yes." Cherche admitted for her liege. "While milord hastily gathered his valuables and guided his people to safety, I alone remained to keep an eye on the Valmese crisis. I was there when Rosanne was swallowed up by Walhart's overwhelming forces. In the end, I too came to Regna Ferox to seek asylum."

"To my great relief, I must add!" Virion smirked. "Eligible women are one of Rosanne's most precious natural resources! It would be a shame to waste any, even one that cuts off her lord and ma-"

"As I was saying…" Cherche interrupted. "We should really cut this conversation short. Basically, Walhart has taken over our continent and now looks to conquer yours."

"She claims a Valmese fleet will reach our shores in the matter of a couple days." Flavia added. "We'll soon see if her story proves true."

"I speak only what I know for true." Cherche said defensively. "As does my lord… at least, with respect to this matter."

"There's that wit of yours again!" Virion exclaimed. "That wonderful, needling, chafing, wit!"

"I believe you both." Chrom said with resolve. He turned to the khans. "We need to secure your ports, and make sure the Valmese don't have a safe place to land."

"You should know…" Virion volunteered. "That the Valmese are known for having the strongest cavalry in the world. 'Twould be wise to station troops with experience fighting them."

Robin nodded. "I'll make a note of that. Thank you Virion."

"If my estimates are correct, they should be arriving in about two day's time." Cherche said.

"Two days…" Chrom thought to himself. "Even if we send Sumia or Cordelia back for reinforcements, they might not arrive in time."

"And if we do that, we'll probably lose at least one capable fighter against them." Robin finished.

Basilio laughed. "Worry not! Just having the shepherds here will more than raise morale for the rest of the Feroxi fighters! After all, just a few moments ago, we thought we'd have to fend them all off ourselves!

Robin smiled. "I guess you're right. We'd better talk strategy then."

Chrom gestured towards Virion and Cherche. "Thank you, you two. Go off and take a rest. Maybe introduce Cherche to the rest of the shepherds or something. We'll take it from here."

The two nodded, and promptly left the room.

Robin, Frederick and Chrom refocused their attentions to the khans. "So what's the situation like?" Robin asked.

"According to Cherche, the Valmese are going for these four ports." Flavia gestured to four locations on the map on the conference table.

"We were thinking… Flavia and I," Basilio added. "That the Feroxi army take on the Valmese landing at the three largest ports." The west khan pointed to three of the four points. "Which leaves the shepherds to protect this fourth one." he gestured at the last one. "The one named after the kingdom itself: Port Ferox."

"It's Regna Ferox's first port, but also one of the smallest. And as such, the number of ships expected to land there is also the fewest. We know that there is only one group of shepherds, but we also know just how capable you all are, especially with Robin directing things. Also, we thought if there were Feroxi soldiers there, it could interfere with Robin's plans… What do you think?"

"Hmm… Is there a more detailed map of the port?" Robin asked.

"I'm glad you asked." Basilio said. "Otherwise I would've prepared this one for nothing." he pulled out a smaller map and laid it on top of the main map. "I had a specialist make this one. It's very detailed."

Robin looked at it and nodded in approval. "There are many choke points we could defend the port from, even if they manage to make it on shore." He gave the map another once over. "I think we can do it." he finally told the khans. "But do you mind lending me this map?"

Basilio laughed. "Of course! I had no intention to keep it when I had it made."

Chrom smiled. "Thanks, Basilio. We won't let you down."

Flavia chuckled. "No, we should be the ones thanking YOU. In the next couple of days, feel free to stay and take a good look around the capital. We'll find an inn where the shepherds can stay for you all."

Frederick bowed. "You are most gracious. On behalf of milord and all the shepherds, I'd like to give you my thanks."

Flavia waved her hand dismissively. "Now, now, none of that now. We're allies, and we are mutually benefiting to boot. Just accept it."

Chrom smiled. "Then we shall. Come, let's head back to the others."

With that, Chrom, along with Robin and Frederick, left Flavia and Basilio and headed back to the atrium.

Meanwhile…

Anna was still new to the shepherds, and found it a little difficult to fit in at first. She saw a blonde girl that appeared to be about her age. She decided she'll try and get some information about them from her.

"Um… hello?" Anna murmured as she tapped Lissa, who was busy observing some of the paintings on display, on the shoulder.

Lissa turned around. "Oh, hello! You're Anna. What's up?"

"Well, I was wondering if you could tell me a little more about the shepherds." Anna said. "I haven't really been here for long."

"Oh, no problem!" Lissa exclaimed. "We are a group of Chrom, my brother's, personal fighters. During times of peace, we mostly go around Ylisse, making sure the civilians are safe and clearing the land of bandits." Lissa explained.

"So… is your brother a noble then? Why does he even bother protecting the halidom's civilians? Is he just that much of a nice guy?" Anna asked, perplexed.

Lissa giggled. "No, my brother is the Exalt." she explained. "Kind of like the ruler of Ylisse."

"T-the Exalt?" Anna squeaked. "I… I had no idea!" 'Perhaps if I stay with these guys, I could hit a fortune at the capital.' she thought to herself. 'Just imagine it: None of my sisters have a shop there!'

"Well, what about Robin?" she asked out of curiosity. "Is he like a nobleman, or a government official or something?"

Lissa chuckled. "No. He's our tactician. With him leading us, we haven't lost a battle, or a person, yet!" she paused. "Well, not unless you count our attempt to save Emm…" her face fell, and she sighed. "But counting that battle as a lost would also be unfair to Robin."

Anna noted how Lissa's demeanor changed, and didn't press the issue. She patiently waited for Lissa to continue.

"As for who he is, I don't actually know. We know he's Plegian. Chrom and I actually found him passed out along the road near the Plegian-Ylissean border. He seems to have lost his memories." Lissa finally said.

"Interesting…." Anna murmured.

"But… Tharja knows something about his past!" Lissa exclaimed, seeming to remember the fact. "She says that it's probably better for Robin if she doesn't tell us, or tell him for that matter though. She apparently was serving him when he was in Plegia or something. By that fact alone, I'd guess he was probably a Plegian noble or something."

"And for as long as you've known him, has he always been such a… nice guy?" Anna pressed.

Lissa thought for a moment. "Definitely! He's always been super nice to me! One time, he switched bedrolls with me so I could get away from the cold… another time, he read to me when I was having trouble falling asleep… When Emm died, he was the one that comforted me… He didn't even get mad at me when I accidentally ruined one of his books… or when I pranked him with a frog… he bought me food that one time too…" Lissa continued rattling on, telling Anna of everything nice Robin had done for her. The redhead was captivated by the things she heard.

Anna bit her lip. "Wow… it's no surprise that he was so nice when he freed me from those bandits then…" she murmured.

"...And his presence is very comforting!" Lissa added. "He makes it feel as if there's nothing in the world to worry about. And if there is, he'll take care of it before you even realize it was a problem!"

"Yeah, I got that feeling about him too." Anna admitted, recalling how nice it felt to hug the tactician as soon as she'd been freed. "Say, Lissa… how old are you?"

Lissa thought for a moment. "Um… this year I'm eighteen." she finally said.

"Wow, so am I!" Anna exclaimed. "How about we be friends then?"

Lissa blinked twice. "Well, we're both shepherds, and all the shepherds are friends with one another… But sure, let's definitely be friends." She smiled at the redhead, who returned it immediately.

With Cherche…

Cherche got a brief introduction to the shepherds from her liege. She couldn't help but notice that one of the shepherds was a swordmaster named Lon'qu. When Virion was done blabbing away, she made her way over to him.

"Pardon me, but are you Lon'qu?" she asked him.

"Yeah. What do you want?" the swordsman replied.

"Did you grow up in the slums? And did you know a young girl named Ke'ri?" Cherche continued.

Lon'qu froze. "Where did you hear that name?" he demanded.

"Ah ha!" Cherche said victoriously. "So it WAS you they told me about!"

"Who is they?" Lon'qu pressed. "What is the meaning of this?"

"I met Ke'ri's parents when I came to Regna Ferox with Minerva." Cherche explained. "I saved them from a pack of bandits outside the town. They told me that their daughter had been killed by the very same outlaws. Later I heard a young boy named Lon'qu was with her at the time. ...And that he fought like a demon in a vain attempt to protect her. Naturally, when I was introduced to you, I started thinking—"

"I fought, yes. But in the end, it was she who died protecting me." he told her. "Her mother and father hated me. They blamed me for her death. I was a homeless boy from the slums, and I stole their only daughter."

"Actually, about that…" Cherche began.

"Enough!" Lon'qu interrupted. "I cannot bear to speak of it. Please go away, woman!"

Cherche furrowed her eyebrows. "Please, you have to listen! It's something you'd want to know!"

"I know that I want to stop discussing this issue." Lon'qu coldly told her.

"Her parents did not hate you, Lon'qu." Cherche continued, ignoring the swordmaster. "They were grateful to you. It's true that when Ke'ri was killed, they blamed you for her death. But then they learned how desperately you tried to save her. And when you vanished from the slum, they knew that it was their fault."

Lon'qu listened, but did not say anything.

"Soon after Ke'ri died, her parents found her diary. They discovered what a good friend you had been to her." Cherche continued. "Your friendship made her happy, and that, in turn, made them happy. So they don't hate you. Not anymore. And I know they would want you to know that."

Lon'qu stared at her for a moment. He finally sighed. "It is good to be forgiven. But this wound… it might still take time to heal."

With that, he walked away, leaving Cherche sighing by herself.

The following day…

Robin woke up and ate breakfast at the inn with the shepherds. He didn't really have plans for the day, but he decided to study the topography maps of Port Ferox and think out some possible strategies. After he's done with that, he could take a walk through town, then maybe get some more reading done.

His plans were interrupted by a knock on his door. When he got up to open the door, he was met with the very enthusiastic Anna.

"Hey Robin!" the redhead exclaimed. "Got anything planned for today?" she asked him.

Robin smiled. "Yeah, I'm drawing out plans for fighting the Valmese tomorrow." he explained.

"Oh…" Anna's face fell.

Robin chuckled. "Why? What if I told you I were free?"

"Well…." Anna put the tips of her index fingers together and looked off to the side. "I was gonna go looking around town, and I was kinda wondering if… y'know… if you would… come with me?"

Robin shrugged. "It shouldn't take all day. I don't see why I can't go with you for a couple hours and then work on it."

"Yay!" Anna smiled and clapped her hands together. "Let's go then!"

She grabbed Robin's hand and pulled him away.

The pair seemed to visit every shop in the town. They went to a clothing shop, an armory, a bookstore, a jewelry shop, and a couple more others. They mostly looked, since Robin had no use for mostly everything they saw, and Anna refused to pay the 'exorbitant' prices for anything. Still, Anna seemed to be more than content just wandering the streets with Robin.

The two finally ended up at a wine shop. Anna, once again, was busy examining the merchandise and their prices.

"The stuff here is pretty expensive too…." Anna said as she examined a bottle.

"Ay, lass. Most of the Feroxi don't drink wine on a regular basis." The shopkeeper told them as he walked up to the pair.

"Really?" Robin asked with furrowed eyebrows. "I would've thought the Feroxi drink a lot. Is the wine not good?"

The shopkeeper laughed. "Drink a lot of beer, yes. But wine is reserved for sad events."

"What do you mean?" Robin asked.

"For example, only wine is served at Feroxi funerals." the shopkeeper explained. "If a Feroxi is drinking wine, it's usually because they're mourning something. It's not because the quality is bad, it's just because of tradition."

"I… see." Robin said. "When they do drink wine, though, which one is popular?"

The shopkeeper walked over to the next aisle, and picked out a bottle of red wine. "This one is the one this town is famous for.

Robin checked the price. It wasn't the least expensive one, but it certainly wasn't the priciest option either. "Can I get one bottle of that one then?" he asked, as he fished out his money.

The shopkeeper smiled. "Of course."

Robin and Anna left after he had purchased the wine. It was getting pretty late into the afternoon, so the two began to walk back towards the inn.

"I wasn't under the impression that you were a heavy drinker." Anna teased. "Are you mourning something?"

Robin shrugged. "I honestly don't know how much alcohol I've consumed in the past, because I don't remember. And I'm not mourning something, I just know Regna Ferox has supposedly the best alcohol on the continent, and was curious about trying some."

"Sure…." Anna said skeptically. "Then why not get some of their beer then?"

"Beer is harder to buy. I'm not about to buy an entire barrel, and I can't store a single beer for later consumption. I just think wine is easier because I can just buy a bottle." Robin explained.

At this point, they had reached the inn. Robin said goodbye to Anna and was about to head back to his room. Suddenly, he remembered something.

"Wait, Anna!" he exclaimed.

"Y-yes?" the redhead stammered in surprise.

"I forgot, I did some thinking, and I believe that you're the best candidate for this weapon." Robin reached his hand out, and a Levin sword materialized in his hand from an astral plane.

"For me?" Anna asked in surprise. "Is that what I think it is?"

Robin nodded. "It's a Levin sword. Actually, it was Gangrel's Levin sword. There aren't many sword fighters in the shepherds that also know how to cast magic. I figured since you seem to know how to use a staff, you'd be able to make the best use of it."

"G-gangrel's sword?" Anna stammered. "Wait, how do you know I know how to use a staff? I haven't healed anyone in front of you."

"That's a trade secret." Robin smiled at her, and the redhead began to pout.

"Fine, keep all you secrets." Her expression then softened. "I'd better learn how to use this thing then. It sounds like it could be very useful."

Robin nodded in agreement. "Very useful indeed."

With that, he said his goodbyes and went back to his room. He stored the wine in an astral plane and got back to work strategizing.

The next morning…

Robin was woken by a loud screaming through the streets. "The Valmese are here! The Valmese are here!"

"Shit! That's so much earlier than expected!" Robin cursed to himself. He reluctantly pulled out his Hekseer.

{It seems the Valmese have arrived. Everyone get ready, we need to head for Port Ferox.}

He received a chorus of grumbles, but everyone got up and began to get ready for battle.

They all met in front of the inn. "Didn't we have until afternoon before they'd arrive?" complained a still groggy Chrom. "Why'd they get here so soon?"

"They must've traveled faster than expected." Robin mused. "Maybe they suddenly had very strong, favorable winds."

"That doesn't change how upset I am." Chrom grumbled. "I barely got any sleep last night."

Robin didn't know if he was implying something, but he didn't press it. "Anyway, they might be just as tired as we are. If anything, we can get our blood flowing during our short march there. It'll help us wake up."

The shepherds quickly gathered and made their way towards Port Ferox. True to Robin's word, by the time they arrived, they didn't feel sleepy anymore. However, to their dismay, many of the Valmese cavalry and Armored Knights already got off the ship and were swarming the port.

{Shepherds, we fortify ourselves first. There's two large piles of wood that should be unpassable. Frederick and Kellam, guard the space between the two piles, and don't let anyone pass. Chrom, Sully, Stahl, and Vaike protect our left flank. Lon'qu, Donnel, Gregor, Cherche, protect our right flank. All other units, gather between them and lend support to whichever side is struggling. We'll wait for them to exhaust their numbers a little first.}

The shepherds assembled, and the battle began.

Several Valmese Armored Knights challenged Frederick and Kellam, but they could not penetrate the pair's heavy armor. Maribelle and Ricken each threw a magic spell at the knights, which weakened them enough for Frederick and Kellam to finish them.

Off to the left flank, a group of cavalry charged the shepherds. Chrom pulled out his rapier and went for an enemy rider's horse, killing the beast and causing the Valmese to fall off his mount. Gaius shot an arrow into the guy while he was still down. The man didn't get up. Stahl wiped the floor with another Cavalier, and immediately went to go help Sully, who was engaged in a fight with an enemy Paladin. The Paladin had a beast killer, but had difficulty penetrating the heavy armor of Sully's horse. Sully, on the other hand, was having a fine time against him with her steel axe. As soon as Stahl's help arrived, the pair easily killed off the enemy promoted unit. Nearby, Vaike jumped into the air and brought his axe down, knocking an enemy right off his mount and killing him. "Looks like Teach just got tenure!" some nearby shepherds heard him exclaim.

On the right flank, Donnel held an enemy Armored Knight at bay with his steel axe while Miriel launched an Elfire spell right at his opponent. The armor began to heat up to unbearable temperatures, and got soft enough for Donnel to punch through with a swing of his axe, ending the poor Valmese's misery. Nearby, Gregor and Cherche were in similar situations, defending against some armored knights to allow the other mages to have opportunities to strike with their magic tomes. Meanwhile, Lon'qu darted from target to target, slashing up one Cavalier after another. Olivia trailed behind him, finishing off any Valmese lucky enough to survive the first round against the swordmaster.

Sumia flew up in the air and threw magic towards the enemy reinforcements. Although nowhere near as strong as Maribelle, Miriel, Ricken or Tharja's, the spells did wound the enemy Armored Knights, which were also easy targets. It also startled the enemy's horses, causing some of the Valmese troops to fall into disarray.

Most of the other shepherds that Robin didn't call on specifically had learned of Robin's general strategy, and aimed to be as useful as possible. Virion shot arrows at unsuspecting Cavaliers whenever the opportunity presented itself. Panne ran in and knocked an Armored Knight over with a kick to their helmet. Anna was showing proficiency in her new Levin sword, and was helping cut down the heavily armored Valmese.

Robin heard a cry of alarm from their right flank, and turned to see Gregor dive in front of an arrow meant for Cherche's wyvern. However, the arrow was deflected by Gregor's armor. Robin frowned. Gregor didn't have armor that would completely deflect an arrow like that. He squinted, and could see the sunlight reflect off of something he was wearing. It looked like scales, dragon scales to be specific, but he couldn't tell. He'd have to make a mental note to ask about it later.

The arrow flew from an enemy Ranger. Robin was still puzzled by how Gregor was able to avoid getting hurt by the arrow, but he couldn't allow himself to get distracted right now. Regardless, Lon'qu set his sights on him, and closed in to cut him down. The Ranger stood no chance at close range.

Slowly, the Valmese numbers began to dwindle. They kept throwing themselves at the shepherds, but were unable to penetrate Robin's defensive formations. The shepherds took down Valmese after Valmese, but they were unfazed. They kept rushing the shepherds with human wave tactics, possibly because they were so confident that they were the strongest armed force in the world.

It wasn't until there were only a few members of the Valmese left before their commander, Sir Dalton, realized something wasn't right. The shepherds didn't seem to have gotten any weaker, and yet his forces were completely plastered across the floor.

"Warriors of Valm! Ride with me!" Dalton commanded, as he charged off the ship with his most elite cavalry troops.

Robin heard Dalton's proclamation. {Be careful everyone, it sounds like the Valmese have a trick up their sleeves.} Just as he finished warning everyone, Dalton and his horsemen appeared in their field of vision, and the Valmese charged Kellam and Frederick. The two of them stood their ground, and took the brunt of the charge. They knew that the rest of the shepherds were right behind them, ready to support them.

Dalton's strongest troops proved to be more of a challenge. Kellam and Frederick found themselves struggling to hold their ground. A Valmese cavalier charged Frederick with no intention of stopping. Frederick, finally making a mistake, gets caught by his opponent's lance. His heavy armor protected him enough, but he still got knocked off his horse, and lost consciousness when he hit the ground. Sensing that it no longer had a rider, Frederick's horse fled.

{Cordelia! Temporarily fill Frederick's position! Donnel! I need you to come to us and take Cordelia's spot as soon as possible. Cherche, come and lift Frederick to safety!} Robin quickly commanded, clearly not happy about the turn of events. He drew his scythe, and ran to help cover the gap with Cordelia.

Without Frederick, their defense over the choke point was much weaker. The remaining Valmese slowly began to force the shepherds back. Robin tried his best, and slashed his scythe around, cutting the legs of a Valmese Cavalier, causing his opponent to fall. Gaius killed the man with an arrow.

However, Robin was unable to defend himself against Dalton, and the Paladin thrusted his silver lance at the tactician.

"Robin!" Cordelia cried as her pegasus dropped down between him and Dalton, knocking the tactician back and to safety. She tried to deflect the lance with her own, but Dalton simply had too much momentum behind his charge. She managed to deflect the lance slightly, so that the lance stabbed into her left shoulder, just under her collarbone.

Cordelia shrieked in pain. Robin was about to get up and do something, but Donnel charged in with his axe. He, along with Kellam, killed Dalton just as he was pulling his lance out of Cordelia.

"What…? H-how…" were Dalton's last words before he died.

Robin got up, and Cordelia gave him a smile. "I'm… glad you're safe." she managed to get out before the blood loss began to get to her. She fell off her pegasus, and Robin moved to catch her.

"Lissa! Maribelle! I need you!" Robin shouted. "Someone! Healer!" he carried the unconscious form of Cordelia towards the back of their formation.

Frederick getting injured, and now Cordelia dealt a massive blow to the shepherd's morale. However, it paled in comparison to the damage dealt to the Valmese from losing their leader. The rest of the shepherds, even without the guidance of Robin, were able to kill off the remaining Valmese quite easily. Many, especially those closer to Cordelia, quickly rushed over to their fallen comrade.

"Oh no! Cordelia!" Sumia exclaimed as she closed in on her falicorn. She dismounted, and rushed over to see her friend. Her falicorn, suddenly left to her own devices, walked over to Robin, who was kneeling over Cordelia as Lissa worked her healing, and began to nuzzle him affectionately. Belfire had always been extraordinarily friendly towards the tactician, and Sumia could not figure out why.

"Robin, Basilio and Flavia are here!" Chrom called. Robin reluctantly got up and made his way over.

"How did things go on your end?" he heard Flavia ask Chrom.

"We've won, but at a price." Chrom replied.

Basilio nodded. "Ay, as did we. The cities are in shambles, as is my army."

"This is very troubling news." Robin said as he joined them. "If the Feroxi army is having trouble with the Valmese, then we are ALL in trouble."

"That's not it either." Flavia added. "This was just their vanguard. Their main forces will probably arrive in a few week's time."

"And once it arrives, their host will wash over the entire continent in a matter of a couple months, maybe even weeks." Basilio noted. "There's no way we could repel them and protect our peoples. It would be a slaughter."

"Ylisse isn't too well equipped to keep more warships from landing... " Chrom said, furrowing his brow. "Robin, what do you suggest?"

"Their greatest strength is their cavalry." Robin said. "But that only gives them an advantage on LAND. What if we were to catch them out at SEA?"

"But…" Chrom protested. "Ylisse doesn't have a very strong navy… nor does Regna Ferox. How could we hope to challenge them at sea?"

"So we'd need help from a country that does… maybe one that borders the sea, with enough money to fund the campaign…" Basilio muttered aloud.

"Plegia!" Robin exclaimed.

"No. Absolutely not." Chrom vetoed. "Out of the question."

"They have gold and ships, boy!" Basilio argued. "And more importantly, we'd have a fart's chance in the wind without them."

"The oaf is right." Flavia agreed. "Crude, but to the point."

"Will you reconsider, Chrom?" Robin asked him.

"Very well." Chrom said reluctantly. "Send a messenger to request a summit immediately. Let us pray that their new king is more reasonable than their last."

"It would take longer for you to send someone to Ylisse to send a messenger." Basilio said. "Why don't we send a messenger from Ferox to request a summit in your place?" he offered.

"That would be ideal." Chrom agreed. "Time is of the essence."

"Y'know, for your first battle against the Valmese, it was a pretty impressive victory. You and Chrom have both grown quite adept."

Robin smiled wistfully. "Yes, but the shepherds suffered more loss in this battle than any other before. I know that we can't expect to win every battle with zero casualties, and yet, it still feels like it was partly my fault that they got injured."

"The Valmese are strong." Basilio nodded. "The number of casualties in my army is a testament of that. It's a miracle you got your victory with only a few wounded." with that, Basilio left to go find a messenger.

Robin nodded. It made sense after all. Aside from Cordelia, there had been several people with light wounds. Especially those fighting on the front lines. While Lissa and Maribelle worked on Cordelia, the other healers helped with the lighter wounds. Libra, Anna, even Miriel were removing the scrapes and bruises from the other shepherds, one by one.

Suddenly, the elation of victory was ripped from Robin by Lissa, who ran up to him.

"Robin! Robin!" the princess practically screamed. She stopped in front of him and tried to catch her breath. "It's Cordelia!"

Robin's eyes widened. "What about her?"

Lissa looked up with tears forming in her eyes. "She's… she's wounded too much… Our staves aren't working anymore…"

"What?" Chrom gritted his teeth. "We're losing her!" Lissa began to cry. "She's dying!"

Robin's blood turned to ice. He immediately ran off towards where Cordelia was lying.

Cherche: HP: 100% Str: 70% Mag: 20% Skl: 55% Spd: 50% Lck: 50% Def: 55% Res: 25%

Class: Wyvern Rider

Age: 20