Of Casual Grunts 5
Hello again everyone! I'm back with my 5th chapter today!
Severa: Are we going to hear my parents love story or not you big ape!
7: *Looks at Severa* Really? Playing that card?
Severa: Hmph! You know I'm impatient when it comes to romance of any kind, especially since Mommy and Daddy refuse to tell me how they fell in love!
7: I know, I'm just as bad as you, but we need to go in order here… By the way, where's Owain?
Severa: Oh, didn't you hear? He got invited to another story as one of the main cast so he handed in his resignation this morning. *Hands seven the paper*
7: …Whelp, looks like I need to find a new co-host. Until then, it'll just be me and Mrs. Snark
Severa: Hey!
Now, on with the show!
-Meetings (Strange Feelings)-
Cordelia froze.
How… how did he know her name? She hadn't introduced herself, had she?
She felt her foul mood give way to confusion, questions banishing her embarrassment and anger. She turned slowly, her eyes locking with his.
They were intense, but kind. Confusion swam in his eyes as clearly as it did in hers. Yet, his warmth was very, very real.
She spoke with a gulp. "How… do you know my name?"
His eyes continued to shine. He seemed to be in his own world, but he began to speak haltingly.
"I…"
She leaned forward a bit, a desperate curiosity pulling at her.
It was not to be. Another voice rang down the hall, making Cordelia jump and hurry from the hallway.
Robin watched her go, mind still trying to process what he'd seen.
Lissa bounced up to him, "Hey, Robin? Who were you talking too?"
Robin shook his head, "Just… someone I thought was familiar."
Lissa frowned. "Ok… what did they look like?"
Robin hummed, trying to find the words. "They were… perfect."
Lissa went wide-eyed. "Uh, can you be a bit more specific? You sound like a puppy with a crush."
He rolled his eyes. "Tall, light armor, red and white dress, long boots, sharp features, red eyes, and long scarlet hair. That help?"
Lissa stared at him before busting into hysterics. Robin adopted a consternated face as she howled with laughter, eye twitching when three servants walked by with nary a glance.
This must be common. I know she's a princess, but she certainly doesn't act like it.
Lissa's guffaws slowed once she started losing air. Robin turned as if to walk away.
"Wait, Robin, snrk, don't go! We, heha, have to meet, haha, with Emm!"
Lissa chased after him and started to drag him down the hall once more. When she finally had her mirth under control, Lissa answered his urgent question.
"Based on what you told me, you seem to know the one and only Cordelia. She's a member of the Pegasus Knights, but she only joined recently. I've heard that she's the best recruit they've seen in a century and, let's be honest, she's very pretty. I'd kill for a tenth of her looks."
Robin frowned. "Don't sell yourself short, Lissa. But, how is she familiar? Knowing someone like her is bound to stick in one's mind."
He held up a hand to stop her retort. "Yes, I have amnesia, I know."
Lissa pouted. "Well, we can think on it later. For now, we need to see Emm!"
Robin chuckled and followed her, mind turning back to Cordelia.
She left in quite a hurry. I wonder if she's ok?
-Cordelia-
She'd raced to the nearest training ground, wailing away at an unfortunate dummy.
Today had not been a good day. First, her breakfast had been cold. Then, she'd been chewed out by her sergeant for making a tiny mistake. Then, when she'd heard the Shepherds had returned, she'd tried to catch Prince Chrom's eye, again, and failed. Then, her seniors decided to mock and tease her about it, again. Then, her Pegasus decided to have a hissy fit, and then she'd been run over while trying to relax!
But, what most irked her was the lack of answers. That man she'd run into knew her, somehow. She was aware of her popularity, but the ones that knew of her fondness for cinnamon could be counted on one hand!
And I don't even use that much. The fragrance should accentuate, not walk in before you do.
She shook her head of the so called 'advice' from that damn book. She wasn't even sure why she kept reading it.
A crack broke her reverie. It seemed that, by trying to sort out her thoughts, she'd snapped her practice lance in two.
She sighed and went to grab another lance, ignoring the other knights walking by. Her mind turned back to the man she ran into as she started again.
Now that I think about it, he was with Lady Lissa. Maybe he's a recruit for the Shepherds? Or an ambassador?
She shook her head at that idea. She'd have been informed if an ambassador was coming, so that likely made him a recruit.
If he is, I'll have to find some time to meet him. I'll have my answers, whether he likes it or not.
With her mind focused and determined once more, she attacked the dummy with renewed ferocity, silencing her thoughts for the moment.
-Throne Room, Robin-
Chrom and Frederick were the first to arrive at the throne room, leaving Lissa to play guide for Robin. Chrom and Frederick waited by the grand oak doors baring entrance to the throne room and entered as soon as they were wide enough.
Chrom's eyes locked on Emmeryn, who was speaking with a woman in golden armor
"Emm! We've returned from patrol."
The Exalt turned from her conversation to see Chrom and Frederick approaching.
"Well met, Prince Chrom, Sir Frederick." Emmeryn greeted them serenely.
The room they were in was large, easily able to fit two hundred people within its walls. Decorated in gold, white, and green, the room radiated serenity and peace to match its ruler. In comparison, the simple gilded chair towards the back of the room was almost too humble.
"It's good to see you again, Emm." Chrom smiled at his sister, relieved to see her unharmed. "Before you ask, Lissa will be here shortly. She's showing our recruit around the castle."
"Oh, another one, Chrom? What's the story behind this one, then?" The Exalt asked, mirth in her voice.
Chrom scratched at his head. "Well…"
Frederick interrupted him, "If I may speak, milady?"
Emmeryn smiled, "Of course, Sir Frederick, what troubles you?"
Frederick straightened. "Our 'recruit' has a suspicious backstory. Or, should I say, lack thereof. I cannot shake the feeling that he could be a spy, if not an assassin."
Frederick's words earned him a glare from Chrom.
"Really? Tell me, Chrom, does the man he speak of hold your trust to the point you would risk your life on his loyalty?" Emmeryn turned to Chrom, steel replacing her mirth.
Chrom nodded, "Robin has my full trust. He fought to save Ylissean lives. In my mind, that makes him worthy of both trust and admiration."
Frederick conceded the point, for now. He was still suspicious, but Chrom had the Exalt convinced.
"Then, the matter is settled, now onto business…" Emmeryn began before the doors creaked open. Lissa skipped inside, dragging a man behind him.
"Hey, Emm!" Lissa shouted, running to embrace Emmeryn. Hugging Lissa back, Emmeryn got her first look at the Shepherds recruit.
He was tall and… that was all she could really see. His simple set of dark pants and boots with a V-neck shirt hid most of his body, but a very impressive cloak kept her from making any further observations. It was a sleek, sturdy material, the dark color shining under the room's gold light. The edges were sewn with golden thread, weaving cryptic symbols into the trim.
But, the dark material drew her eyes to his head. To Emmeryn, that was how she'd know him, by his hair and eyes. His hair was a verdant purple, shining like a field of lavender in the wind. His eyes shined like opals, a white iris with swirls of frozen, iridescent color.
He was… unique. But, the eyes, though respectful and awed, made her feel slightly uncomfortable.
She realized why a moment later. Her brand, the proof of her exalted blood, burned when she looked him in the eye.
Focusing on his nose, Emmeryn smiled. "You must be Chrom's recruit. Would you be so kind as to share your name?"
Robin bowed deeply. "My name is Robin, Your Excellency. I owe your siblings my life."
Emmeryn giggled. "Please, raise your head. You saved Ylissean lives and helped both of my siblings. If thanks should be doled out, I would rather extend it to you."
Robin blushed. "That's very kind of you, Your Excellency."
Emmeryn rolled her eyes. "Enough with the titles. They're a necessity in court, but among friends, please, call me Emmeryn."
Chrom guffawed at Robin's pink face. "Well, well. I didn't think Emm would take such a shine to you. Maybe her days unwed are finally numbered."
Emmeryn stepped up to Chrom and yanked on his ear, whispering something to Chrom that made him backpedal. "Alright, alright! Geez, no need to bring that up."
Lissa giggled. "Yeah, you deserved that one bro. You and I both know she's not interested in marriage."
Robin found himself out of the family's little circle, Frederick to his right and the woman from earlier on his left. Not really wanting to talk to Frederick, he turned to the woman.
"Excuse me, I don't believe we've been acquainted."
The woman glanced at him, her red eyes stoic. "My name is Phila, I'm the commander of the Pegasus Knights."
Robin gulped. "Um, well, uh, it's a pleasure to meet you. May I… ask if they're like this often?"
Phila shook her head. "More so then I think they should be. Their duties are of the utmost import, but they always find time to indulge in these frivolous activities."
Robin heard Frederick snort. "I do not wish to offend, Commander, but I fear they may well explode if they didn't. Lady Lissa in particular has a hard time staying still let alone courtly."
Robin saw a faint smirk on Phila's lips. "True. I fear for the Halidom when Her Grace gets truly bored."
Robin felt his original picture of the Exalt begin to crumble. Originally, he thought she'd be this almost ethereal being that radiated serenity and peace. Instead, she just seemed normal.
Well, as normal as one can be when you're ruler of a country. Heaven knows why any normal person would want the position.
He sighed. He hadn't slept in almost a day and exhaustion was starting to weigh on him. Thankfully, Emmeryn noticed.
She coughed. "Well then, Chrom, Frederick, if you would come with me and Phila. We've had reports of strange creatures appearing across Ylisse and I have little doubt you encountered them."
Chrom nodded. "That's right, we did. Come on, Frederick, we need that wonderful memory of yours that forgets no slight."
Frederick sighed but walked to Chrom's side.
Emmeryn turned to Lissa. "Lissa, dear, can you show Sir Robin to the barracks? He'll need to find a room and meet the others."
Lissa nodded before dragging Robin out of the room, the remaining occupants leaving to discuss events and give a name to the new menace.
"…And all of them are lots of fun!" Lissa exclaimed, Robin nodding tiredly. She'd been describing some of the other Shepherds to him.
Well, I was right. If Lissa's not just exaggerating to prank me, which she very much would, this band will keep me entertained if nothing else.
Robin nearly ran into Lissa when she stopped. After apologizing, Robin got his first look at his new home.
It was a modest two story building built of wood and stone. There was a storage shed off to the right and stables on the left. A pair of wooden doors led into the building, which Lissa pushed open with all the excitement of a chipmunk.
The first thing Robin noticed were stacks of weaponry and armor. Ranging from wooden lances and thick leather armor to healing staves and massive plate suits, the Shepherds certainly didn't want for supplies. At least, that's what he thought.
"Don't be fooled by all the stuff."
Lissa pointed to a rack of intricate staffs. "The regular military uses most of the bottom floor for storage since we aren't here often. All of our stuff is upstairs."
Robin slumped, his dreams of a well-supplied group dying a pitiful death.
Lissa giggled at his dejected face. "Ah, don't be like that. Come on, the others should be just over there."
When they turned the corner Robin was nearly run over by a pink and yellow blur.
"Lissa, my treasure, are you alright!?"
Lissa laughed at the woman, tall and poised with her hair coiffed into tight ringlets and clothed in fine vestments. "Hey, Maribelle! I'm doing fine, what about you?"
"Hey yourself!" The woman scolded, "I've sprouted fourteen grey hairs fretting over you!"
Their banter continued as Robin regained his bearings. Others were watching the scene so he took his time to study them
The first was a large man with a thick leather sleeve on his arm and a ring of steel covering his shoulders. He wore no armor on his torso, his skin bared to the elements, showing off impressive muscles. Fortunately, he wore dark pants with thick leather greaves.
He carried a huge steel axe over his shoulder, the blade drawing Robin's attention to his swept blonde hair and scarred face.
The next person he noticed was seated in the middle of the room. The man was wearing incredibly thick plate with orange accents. He had dark hair styled in the shape of a bowl and a blank expression. Actually, he was so bland and uninteresting, Robin would have missed him entirely if it wasn't for the steel lance beside him.
The last person to join them was a young woman. She wore the plate armor Robin had seen on guards earlier, albeit dark pink. Wait, hadn't Cordelia been in armor like this? Did this mean she was a Pegasus knight?
Shaking his head, Robin blinked at her grey hair. She was still young, her soft face and fresh eyes said as much, but she had an aura of anxiety that could be felt across the room.
Robin noticed that the room had gone silent. Feeling a pair of eyes boring into his back, he turned to face Maribelle, who had finished scolding Lissa.
She cleared her throat and Robin slowly came back to reality, focusing on her brown eyes.
"And who are you, sir?" She asked. "I've never seen you here before and I know all the Shepherds by sight, or in some cases …" Her gaze went slyly to the man without a shirt, "by smell."
"I was just getting to that, Maribelle, sheesh." Lissa sighed, irritated at her friend's fussing. "Ahem, anyway, this is Robin, the newest member of the Shepherds and our tactician."
Robin bowed. "It's a pleasure to meet you all. I hope to be of service henceforth."
Lissa giggled at his formality, while the blonde man started laughing.
"No offense, stranger, but you'll find no better service than Ol Teach's trusty axe!" He turned to Lissa. "Hey, where's Chrom, pipsqueak? I bet he had a hard time without Teach, eh?"
She rolled her eyes. "Oh, so it's 'Teach' now, huh, Vaike? What next, Skeletor?"
"Hey, never doubt the Vaike! I could have helped you way more than this stranger!"
Lissa jumped at the opening. "No one's stranger than you, Vaike!"
She laughed at her own joke. "Anyway, as I said, Robin is our new tactician. He's also handy with a sword and knows how to use tomes. So, don't think because he's coming up with the plans that he can't fight, ok?"
Vaike laughed after Lissa finished. "Ok, yeah, but can he do this?"
Vaike belched loudly, making Robin jump.
Robin smiled unsurely. "I'm… sure you have much to teach me in the belching arts, Teach"
Maribelle looked ready to explode at Vaike, but the Pegasus Knight beat her to the first word.
Her question went to Lissa. "Pardon me, but when might we see the Captain?"
Lissa smiled at her. "Aw, it's sweet of you to worry about him, Sumia, but he's meeting with Emm and Phila. It'll be awhile."
Maribelle looked at Sumia with false pity. "Poor Sumia couldn't keep her eyes off the horizon during training today. She would have earned fewer bruises blindfolded."
She huffed. "But, I've had quite enough of the buffoonery shone so far today. If you'll excuse me."
Turning her nose up at the room, but noticeably not Lissa, Maribelle left. Robin watched her go, surprised at her disdain.
Sumia smiled at him. "Don't worry about her, Robin. Maribelle warms to people slowly."
Lissa smirked. "Or burns too quickly!"
Lissa started to laugh but the others just shifted awkwardly.
Robin was trying to find a way to cool the tension when the door opened. Chrom's boots thudded on the wooden floors.
Sumia sprang forward when she saw him. "Captain! I was so... I mean, we were so…"
She proceeded to trip on thin air.
Robin stared at the impossible feat as Chrom bent to help her up, the others hiding their mirth.
"Sumia, are you ok?"
She nodded as she got up, dusting herself off. "I-I'm fine, Captain."
He glanced at her legs. "Was it those boots again? Didn't you have them refitted last week?"
Sumia sighed. "Yes. I… I just don't know."
Robin stood off to the side with Lissa, watching as Vaike went to greet Chrom. "So, what's their relationship?"
Lissa gave him a flat stare. "Who, Sumia and Chrom or Vaike and Chrom?"
Robin felt nervous to ask. "Um, Sumia and Chrom."
Lissa had the single scariest grin on her face. She stood on her toes and whispered into Robin's ear. "If all goes according to plan, she'll be my sister in law by year's end!"
Robin stared at Lissa. "Are… are you sure?"
Lissa rolled her eyes. "Oh, don't give me that look. Just watch, you'll see."
Robin shrugged, may as well. He jumped when something prodded his shoulder.
"What, who's there?"
Lissa looked around before groaning. "Oh, that's just Kellam. Turn to your right and glance to the left."
Robin did as instructed and spotted the man in plate. "Oh, I'm so sorry! I had no idea you were there."
The man laughed. "Nah, it's alright. People tell me I'm easy to miss."
He held out his hand. "Name's Kellam. Glad to have you with us, Robin."
Robin shook the hand offered. "Glad to be here. Actually, I think I've heard your name before."
Chrom's voice drifted over to them. "That you have, Robin. Kellam is Sully's husband-to-be."
Robin blinked. "Oh, you are? I'm sure there's a story to that."
Kellam smiled. "Indeed there is."
Chrom coughed. "You can tell him later, Kellam. Tonight, we celebrate a successful mission and the addition of a new member!"
Cheers met his declaration and they filed out of the barracks, Robin hung toward the back.
I don't know what to think of all this. They've accepted me with nary a question and treated me like an old friend. It feels warm and light and friendly...
He chuckled and his mind turned to Cordelia once more.
Lissa said she's a Pegasus Knight recruit. Maybe, once I settle in, I can speak with her.
Robin scratched at his chin.
But, why was that girl, Katarina, able to trigger my memory? And with such different words to similar images?
Chrom called back to him. "Oi, Robin! Either catch up or miss out on some damn good eating!"
Robin blinked before hustling to catch up, his questions buried for a time.
Unbeknownst to him, Cordelia had been thinking about him all day. Through training, chores, eating, and patrol he hounded her. Even now, as she lay in her cot, his intense gaze lingered.
Cordelia sighed into the quiet air.
I won't have free time for another month at least. I want answers, but unless they decide to lighten patrols, I'm stuck.
She sighed again.
Guess I'll just have to be patient. If he's going to be a Shepherd, I'll see him around before long. Then, I'll sit him down and get my answers.
She nodded, but swiftly devolved into planning out the meeting to the minute and didn't get a wink of sleep for hours. It made the next morning miserable, even more so than usual.
Still, it was a start for both of them.
That's all they could really ask for.
And another chapter done!
If anyone has questions, feel free to leave a review and I'll do my best to answer without spoiling anything for you!
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Severa: So, that's how they started out huh?
7: Yep, you could say it was fate with these two right?
Severa: Well, I hope it gets more interesting from here on out! All this talking is boring!
7: It's called introduction and character development my girl. Now, let's call it a night since now I have to go on a recruitment drive again.
Severa: Fine, let's go. *both leave stage*