Chapter 2) Shepherds

And so we head for Ferox. Ferox is a large country to the north, divided into East and West and both ruled by Khans. I wonder if the Shepherds know anything about Ferox and its politics, but I doubt it. Ylisse is isolationistic, and Petal's comment about 'barbarians' makes it clear that they've barely learned even basics.

Ah, diplomatic incidents in the making. That's us! (Gods, help us.)

All was calm inside my tent. Outside was chaos, but I ignored it all as I lounged on some pillows, a luxury that I greatly enjoyed, and sharpened my sword. The sound of the whetstone over the iron was soothing, even as I noticed the signs of it reaching the end of its durability. I would have to buy a new one soon. A shame, but a needed one. I only hoped I had enough gold to buy a decent one.

"You've been frowning for some time," Robin noted. I glanced up to see him watching me closely. He and I had drawn the lucky stones to avoid the 'lunch camp' chores, and thus, we were both relaxing in my tent, with him reading through bunches of books and me tending to our weapons. "Is anything wrong?"

"I'm surprised you noticed with how enthralled you are with your book," I teased, mostly to avoid answering. It really wasn't important. "What are you reading anyway?"

"Well…" He held up the book to let me read the title, and pouted slightly when I just gave him a look. "Come on! You can read!"

"Just tell me. We're having a conversation."

"Mean." He grinned, though. . "It's a tactics book!"

"I got that." I rolled my eyes and he laughed. I was slowly, slowly, getting used to hearing him laugh so much. "What is it, though?"

"Oh, right." His grin somehow widened. "It's a book of tactics that analyzes the strategies used by Lady Katri during something called the Campaign of Fire. Whatever that is."

"It's an old history-legend thing. Hard to separate fact from fiction there."

"But the tactics are amazing! And she made it through with minimal casualties!" His eyes sparkled and he nearly knocked over the stack of books next to him as he gestured wildly. "Virion was right. It is fascinating."

"Figures Ruffles gave it to you." I frowned as his cheer faded and set my sword and whetstone to the side. "What?"

"It's just…" He visibly groped for words before sighing. "Nicknames."

"Huh?"

"Nicknames. You call everyone by nicknames."

"I… do, yes?" I didn't call Emmeryn by a nickname, but he didn't know that. "Why bring it up?"

"Because… I've noticed something the others haven't yet. I don't know if I'm just… more observant, or if it's a lingering…" He grimaced, and I tried not to wince. "But, these nicknames aren't affectionate."

"Pardon?"

"It's not like with Sully. That's a nickname, yes, because she dislikes her birthname, Soiree."

"That's a rather pretty name, but I can see why she'd dislike it." I hadn't known 'Sully' was a nickname, and was a bit curious as to why she had it.

"Stop trying to distract me." His eyes narrowed. "It's a wall. A barrier. You give them nicknames to avoid getting close. You give them nicknames, because their 'names' make them real and, for some reason, you just want them to stay faceless strangers."

I tried not to stiffen. He was right, but I wasn't going to admit it. "What an odd claim. What makes you say that?"

"You don't call me by a nickname."

"You're my twin."

"Am I? Or am I just a stranger wearing his face?!" He raised his voice suddenly, and I automatically flinched. Robin never yelled, and it flat out scared me how much he sounded, and looked, like our father when he did. "Damn it, why do you keep your distance from everyone, Kestrel? They just want to get to know you!"

"Well, that's all fine and good, but keeping distance was always safer!" For everyone else. Our first friends were massacred by the Grimleal.

"Then why are you here?"

"Because you asked me, dumbass!" Something just snapped in my head. "You asked me, because you wanted to 'learn about me' or something! I'm sorry I'm messed up from the past you got to forget! I'm sorry for being mad at your complete change in personality! I'm sorry that you don't get a pretty little sister who worships your every breath! I'm sorry you get a broken mess of a twin, but gods damn it all, you don't get to complain about how I act because you don't know a fucking thing about me anymore!"

As he stared in shock, I snatched up all his books and threw them out of my tent, before shoving him after them. He protested something, but I tied the flap shut and threw a bunch of pillows at it to both make sure it was properly closed and to give an impression of 'slamming the door shut' without having an actual door to slam.

Then I buried myself into the pillows and burst into tears, using them to muffle the sound. I just had no idea what to do anymore.

I hid in my tent all through lunch. I didn't even know who cooked, as I didn't eat at all. I could go a while without food. Grima liked his Vessels strong and durable, and I had reaped the lion's share of that little trait, even if I wasn't a 'perfect vessel'. I could bleed more, and just last longer, than most. It was a trait that kept me alive far longer than my lack of armor should allow. Robin had always called it an asset, a blessing, much like how he was just fast and could cast spells quickly. I always called it a curse, as it meant I lived when others didn't. But it was useful for when I skipped out on meals.

When we left camp, I purposely kept my distance from everyone as we walked up the Northroad, heading straight for one of the border fortresses. Whenever someone ventured close, I curled into myself in a silent plea to stay away. Luckily, the ones who did took the hint, and left me alone. Even Virion gave me my space, though he also, somehow, managed a sympathetic, flirtatious wink. I had no idea how.

Sighing, I tugged my cloak tighter around me and took note of just where… everyone was. Petal, for instance, was riding with Shiny, chatting happily about something she read. Buttons skipped along merrily, humming a rather jaunty little tune as she entertained those who listened with stories about a prank she'd pulled on her sister a few weeks ago. Blue and Robin talked quietly, bent towards each other with slight smiles and laughter, even as their eyes were serious. I smiled slightly, glad that Robin had a friend, even as I felt… horribly jealous. We'd only ever had each other before now. It felt weird, 'sharing' Robin, especially when… we had the Heir to Naga and the Hero-King, Wielder of the Falchion, chatting happily with the Perfect Vessel of Grima, Destined to bring about the end of humanity. It was weird. I felt like it was all too… nice. Too peaceful. Too… everything. It was like someone was offering me a bouquet of flowers, when all I had seen before were withered, dead and rotting. It just didn't feel real. It felt wrong. It all just felt so wrong, but I couldn't explain that. I didn't have the words for it.

The sound of hooves caught my ear, mostly because of how distant and frantic they sounded. I paused and turned, frowning as I noticed a single rider heading straight for us. That seemed… odd. It had only been a couple of days since we left Ylisse. There shouldn't be a messenger yet.

"A lone rider?" Blue came to my side, frowning too. "If it was a message, Emm would've sent a pegasus knight," he murmured. I glanced around to see that the group had stopped. "Who…?"

"W-wait for me!" the rider shouted then, as if he'd noticed that we weren't going anywhere. "Hey!" The rider slowed his horse from a gallop to a walk, sighing in relief. "Oh, finally, I caught up." Noticing his green armor, and green-grey hair, I instantly dubbed him 'Green' and wondered why so many Ylisseans dressed in a single color that matched their hair so perfectly. "Ah, hello, Captain Chrom. I'm glad to see you're well."

"Stahl!" Blue cried with a giant grin. He clapped Green on the back as Green dismounted. "I was wondering why you weren't with us. Did you get distracted by breakfast and miss the marching time?"

"No, I skipped breakfast to catch up!" Green looked some combination of laid-back, exasperated, and a little hurt. But the group itself seemed to relax. Whoever Green was, it was clear he was something of a peacemaker. "Why was I not told about this expedition?"

"You… weren't?" Blue looked confused. "That's… Lissa?" He turned to Buttons, who was also frowning heavily. "Lissa, you were the one who arranged messengers to the Shepherds who weren't with us at the Barracks, yes?"

"Yeah, I was," Buttons answered. She sounded annoyed. "The 'Teach' over here was supposed to tell Stahl, but clearly, that was too much for him! I bet he forgot again!"

"Hey, the Vaike never forgets!" 'The Vaike' immediately protested. I prided myself in trying to avoid him to the point that I didn't even want to come up with a nickname. He reminded me far too much of the men in taverns who liked to grope and then protested when I broke their fingers in retaliation. But if I had to, I'd go with Blondie. "I just… don't always remember, is all…"

"Ugh, I swear, Vaike, you'd forget your own name if you weren't saying it all the time!" She glowered and stomped her foot. "Did you remember your axe this time?"

"Hey, that was one time!" Blondie paused. "Okay, two, but training sessions don't count. But anyway, I've got it right here!" He brandished his axe for emphasis, and I tried to figure out who thought having an idiot with an axe as a soldier was a good idea. "Teach is loaded and ready for action!" His bravado faded as he looked to Green. "But… I'm sorry, Stahl. I-"

"It's fine," Green instantly reassured. "Well, I'm a bit annoyed still, but I know you didn't mean anything by it." He grinned. "You can make it up by sharing some snacks!" He snapped his fingers, though, and turned to Blue. "Oh, Miriel is also on her way. She ended up finishing her experiment faster than she'd anticipated. I think." He made a face. "You know how she is."

Green was soon dragged over by Red to chatter about something, and we all had an impromptu break, mostly to give Green's horse some time to rest and graze on some nearby grass. I hung back, just as I had before, and noticed how… just damn nice Green seemed to be. He was calm and reassuring, asking far more about others than he answered about himself. That made me… nervy. Most overly nice people I'd encountered were secretly serial killers and psychopathic manipulators. While he could be genuine, since he was a Shepherd and all… well, Blue had taken in two complete strangers, one of which was an amnesiac and one of which was a girl who knew far more than she had the courage to say, and surely even he had figured that out. Yet, here we were. On a diplomatic mission. Given free reign.

"You doing all right, Kestrel?" Blue even gave plenty of opportunity for me to attack! He just came over to my side, away from the others. "Kestrel?" He was damn luck that I wasn't of the Grimleal, as with a single dagger, or curse, or a bit of poison, I'd remove one of the greatest threats to Grima. All of which I had on me. "Kestrel?"

"Yes?" I finally replied. I tried not to squirm, and hoped he didn't realize I'd been thinking of how easy it would be to kill him. "What is it?"

"I asked how you were doing," he repeated. He peered at me worriedly. "I know you said you were a traveler, but… well, we're a loud bunch at the best of times, and nerves make us worse and-"

"I'm fine." The lie was easy. "Regardless…" I pointed to Green, who was in the middle of laughing with Buttons and Blondie. "That is…?"

"Stahl, one of our most reliable soldiers." Blue grinned. "I'm incredibly glad he's with us. I always feel safer."

"Even more than with Shiny?"

"'Shiny' likes to lecture." He grinned and I couldn't help but laugh a little. "Not very safe."

"Perhaps you shouldn't give him so much to lecture about?" I laughed again as he groaned. "And who is this Miriel mentioned?"

"A powerful mage, brilliant if socially awkward. She experiments often." Blue crossed his arms. "She'd initially refused because she was in the middle of a delicate one."

"Like what?"

"Hell if I know. Keep a dictionary handy when you talk to her. You'll need it."

"Okay?" I might've asked, but then I noticed something. Something glinted from the branches, and my eyes widened as I realized it was the tip of an arrow. At first, I thought it was aimed for Blue, and I pushed him back before realizing the arrow wasn't aimed at him at all. It was aimed at Buttons, but Robin had just moved in the path.

I lunged without thinking, hoping to knock Robin off balance, and get all three of us out of the path. I… mostly succeeded. Buttons and Robin were fine, but the arrow slammed into the small area between my neck and collarbone, knocking the air out of me.

"Kestrel!" Robin caught me as I buckled. "Virion, get that archer!" he snapped, shifting to bear most of my weight. "Kestrel, can you hear me?" Some gasps and cheers told me that Ruffles had been successful. "Lissa, I know you're shocked, but I need you to unfreeze and-"

"Don't waste... heal charge," I gasped out. My vision was a little grey from the pain, and I grimaced as I remembered the caveat of being able to survive a lot of damage. It meant enduring a lot of pain. "Just… cut it out… bandage... little vulnerary... be fine."

"But-"
"Tactician. Battle. Now."

"...Right, of course." Still, he made sure to give me a hug, careful to not jostle the arrow, even as Blue snapped for everyone to fall into formation. "Kestrel."

"Robin, there is literally a-"

"I love you, sister." The words were soft, but certain, and they made me freeze. "I should've said that before. That's one of the few things I remember." He tightened his hug. "Your name, Chrom's, and that I love you, and I want you to be happy. I'm sorry I snapped. I just… want you to be happy."

"...Is now... really the time... to be making apologies?" Still, I sighed, and leaned into him. It was easy. I'd done this a lot, when I'd been injured in the past. "I'm sorry… too… I should've tried... to listen instead of just… falling back on how... things used to be."

"I'm sorry things have to be different, but I'll make them better. We'll make them better. You'll see." His tone was so earnest that I didn't know if I wanted to laugh or cry. He just… didn't know, and I couldn't find the energy or courage to tell him that we were cursed children. "Get your injury tended to, and at least have Lissa look over it."

"Fine, fine..." I was tired of arguing. "Oh, right. Almost forgot..." I pulled away slightly and managed a smile. "Love you too, brother."

His resulting smile almost made getting shot worth it. Almost.

Because of the suddenness of the battle, Petal was ordered to steer clear of the field. As a result, she was tasked with helping Ruffles cutting the arrow out of me, and bandaging it. I bloodied my lip to keep from screaming, since I stupidly told them to not use numbing herbs. I was used to that costing extra, instead of being something free. Then, leaving Ruffles to guard the unarmed Petal, I picked up my sword and jumped into the battle against the Risen.

"Are you certain you should be fighting?" Blue asked as we found a bit of a breather. On Robin's orders, we were fighting together, back to back, taking care of the Risen that slipped past the three mounted units, who were trying to charge through the lines to get the leader. Robin and Blondie were on the other side of the road, doing the same thing, while Buttons ran around frantically healing and trying to not die. "You were just injured."

"Blue, if you ask that one more time, I'm going to tell you exactly where to shove it," I snapped. The first time was nice, the second was maybe endearing, but I got tired after the twelfth time. "There's a battle."

"I know that!" He sounded aggravated, but I didn't turn to face him to confirm. "But arrows aren't things to just shrug off!"

"Based on where it hit me? It's just annoying. Trust me."

"Trust has nothing to do with my worry. You survived with just Robin for longer than I like. You're clearly capable."

"Than you like?" Now I glanced back, giving him an incredulous look as he grimaced. "What, you have to approve of my past now?"

"No, that's not it!" He shook his head, making what hair wasn't plastered to his face fly about. "I just… look, is it bad that I wish you and Robin had a more stable childhood?"

"You don't know us."

"That doesn't mean I can't wish you had better lives!"

"Are you two flirting or fighting?" Blondie suddenly drawled. Blue rolled his eyes while I glared. "C'mon, get a room!" He grinned broadly, as if we weren't in the middle of a battle against strangely not-smelly corpses that evaporated. "I know she's lovely, Chrom, but-"

"Vaike, don't drop your guard," Blue snapped. I glanced around and noticed Robin giving us all a 'what is going on?' look, and I shrugged when he caught my eye. "And don't drop your weapon."

"I didn't drop anything. It's right…" Blondie yelped as he waved his arm wildly. No axe in sight. "What the-?! Where's my axe?!"

"Please tell me you're joking."

"I had it a second ago!" Blondie started looking around frantically. "Seriously, I just had it! I cleaved a skull in two!"

"How is he not dead yet?" I groaned as Blondie continued to yelp and search frantically. I glanced at Blue. "Why is he here?"

"Believe it or not, he is skilled, when he manages to remember his weapon," Blue answered. He looked exasperated. "And he's here because he wishes to be."

"If he gets someone killed, I will yell at you."

"He's not going to get Robin killed."

"I said 'someone', not 'Robin'. My life doesn't completely revolve around my twin. I wouldn't be guarding your back if that was the case, Robin's orders or not. I'm used to ignoring him when he's being all order-y."

"I was more talking about how Robin is fighting with him, but good to know!"

I might've retorted, but then I noticed something strange. A woman holding an axe in one hand and a tome in the other walked down the road, absently looking around. "Hey," I whispered, pointing at her. Blue turned and sighed when he saw the woman. "Know her?"

"Yes, I do," Blue answered. He waved his arm, catching her attention. "Miriel, over here. Why do you have Vaike's axe?"

"Oh, do I?" the woman replied. She frowned slightly as she caught up. In the distance, I heard the others fighting, with Robin having switched to protecting Buttons. "I had wondered what sort of ignoramus had mislaid their weapon. Now I know." The woman's eyes narrowed as she handed the axe to an ecstatic Blondie. "Perhaps I should fashion a spell to fasten it to your hand. Permanently."

"You can't do that, Miriel." Blue said the words easily, even as Blondie squeaked a bit in fright. "For one, you promised no human experimentation. For two, it's impossible."

"Well, for her, perhaps, but not in general," I noted absently, more focused on trying to remember what the name of the wire and glass contraption Miriel was wearing was called. It was something relatively new, and only the rich could afford owning a pair. She also wore a very, very ridiculous hat. "It'll involve dark magic and a curse, though." Automatically, I thought of Mother, and how she had done that very thing with one of our pursuers. Then she'd overwhelmed their mind and turned them against their fellows.

"Fascinating," Miriel murmured. Her eyes narrowed. "You bear considerable knowledge of curses, then?"

"Nope." It was easy lying through my teeth. I knew a lot about curses. Unlike Robin, I had been taught dark magic. "Oh, look, a corpse is trying to eat us now. Back to fighting."

"A cunning distraction, but-" She squeaked as Blue and I snagged her shoulders and shoved her down as a Risen that had appeared from nowhere tried to bite her neck. "Ah. Most troublesome."

This was going to be a long, long battle.

Thankfully, with the addition of another mage, Robin got us all through the battle without suffering more than minor injuries. Unfortunately, this meant that my initial arrow wound, aggravated by the fighting, was the 'worst', and thus, I was stuck in a tent with Buttons and Petal after we all set up camp for the night. Good news was that I was excused from camp chores, but it did mean I had to deal with Buttons fussing far too much over a tiny little hole near my neck.

"Oh, I hope it doesn't scar," she sighed, dabbing some disinfectant on my injury. I'd won the argument against her using a healing staff, mostly by pointing out that she didn't have that many left in her staff, and we still had quite the journey ahead. "My teachers always said that was the worst thing that could happen to a girl."

"Your teachers need to get their heads out of their asses," I instantly deadpanned. I sighed as she gave me a slightly confused look. Her status as 'princess' sheltered her from some things, it seemed. "Later, when I'm not quite as tired, I'll tell you, or you may ask someone else. I'm liable to be horrifically blunt, and it's a sensitive topic."

"Okay?" She still looked a little confused before shrugging. "I'll trust you. You're way more travelled than I am. Plus you're older. Not as old as Emm, but Emm doesn't talk to me about worldly stuff. It's all about 'how are you?' and 'please stop putting frogs in nobles' pillows when they make me sad'."

"...Remember what I said about playing pranks on me?"

"Don't do it, because you're liable to accidentally hurt me, right?" She grinned, still working on cleaning my injury. "It's fine. Robin's a much better target anyway! His face has this funny rubbery thing going on!" She shook her head and tossed a pillow at Petal, who was sighing at something nearby. "Sumia! Talk to us!"

"Eep!" Petal squeaked, somehow managing to fall despite reclining on some other pillows. Her book flew up and then hit her directly in the face. "Oof…" She whimpered a little as she pushed herself up, giving Buttons a little hurt look. "I was in the middle of such a touching scene, too…"

Buttons simply laughed, but I focused on the book, noting the title. 'Ribald Tales of the Faith War'... that was a book I'd read about a year ago, mostly curious because of the sheer outrage that had erupted over its publishing. Someone didn't like taking 'the legendary Holy War of Jugdral', long used as a justification for the hatred of Plegia because of the easy parallels between Loptyr and Grima, even longer upheld as borderline scripture, as… well, the basis of some very, very smutty scenes. The book was very popular with girls, from my understanding.

"Where are you in it?" I asked, mostly so that Petal had something to focus on besides Buttons and her snorting laughter. "The Spirit Forest? Augustria?"

"Oh, I've read it four times already, but I'm at Sigurd's confession to Deidre," Petal instantly gushed. She sighed, clutching the book to her chest. "So romantic…"

I wasn't as certain on how 'romantic' it was. Then again, how fast the two 'fell in love' always just… bothered me. "I suppose. It's their later scenes that sold me on them."

"Oh, yes, I love the scene where…" She trailed off, eyes wide. "You've read it?!"

"Yeah, a bit ago."

"Yay!" She slid a little closer to me, eyes sparkling. "So, who's your favorite? No, wait, different question. Which character do you feel sorrier for?"

"Sorrier?"

"Yeah!"

"...Okay then." I had to admit that was an unusual question, but I had nothing else to do while Buttons continued tending to my injury. I was just stuck sitting here among the pillows, after all. "Well, I always felt the most pity for Julius, truthfully, with Julia as a close second." Maybe it was because I was similar to Julius, but I had a parent who intervened before Grima could sink his claws into my brain. Maybe it was, like Julia, I was the twin to a 'perfect vessel', and if the Grimleal got their way, I'd lose my twin, just as she lost hers. "I think Deidre is up there, though."

"All of them, really, are pitiable when you look at everything." Petal frowned, and gave a pointed look at Buttons. "I've been trying to get Princess Lissa to read it."

"Is she even old enough? I've read it. I know what sort scenes are in there."

"I-It's very educational on that front!" Petal's face went bright red with a blush, even as she looked quite serious. "But it's got more than that!"

"True." I looked up at Buttons. "You might benefit from the sections focusing on Lady Alicia, actually. She was the primary healer during the first generation."

"Exactly!" Petal leaned a little forward. "Well, truthfully, I actually chose to stop my Cleric training because of them. I realized while reading those scenes that there was no way I could manage. What with the blood and stress and death and…" She shuddered. "I don't have the right mindset for it." She drooped a little. "I'm… well… a bit of a coward and..."

"...It takes courage and wisdom to realize what suits you and what does not." I shook my head. "Far better to realize it now, than in a moment where it would be needed, Sumia."

She blinked slowly, and I wasn't sure she was more surprised by my encouragement, or that I called her by name. "Th-thank you…" She eventually just chose to blush prettily. "That's… um…"

"Wow, you're good, Kestrel!" Buttons chirped, putting down her cleaning-wound-utensils and wrapping my injury up in a bandage. "There!" Task done, she promptly plopped down next to me, stealing a pillow. "But see how pretty she is? Sumia, I mean. You'd think that even my brother would-"

"D-don't finish that sentence!" Pe… Sumia yelped. Her blush deepened. "I just… the Captain just… b-besides, whoever marries him will be Queen, likely, eventually, and… and..."

"You'd make a kind Queen! And you've got the rank, as the daughter of a Viscount!"

"B-but… Lissa, there's no way!"

"B… Lissa, ease up," I chided. Bu… Lissa immediately stilled when I used her name. "You'll make her die of embarrassment at this rate."

"...That's fun, though!" Lissa laughed. She leaned into me. "But fine, fine. You two. Tell me more about these Ribald Tale thingys. Maribelle refused to tell me anything. Something about scandalous."

As the three of us talked, I made a bit of effort to make sure I actually used their names, instead of the nicknames.I doubted I could do it with most of the others. But, Robin… I got what he'd been trying to say. Putting up a wall wasn't going to be… healthy or helpful to me. We were no longer in a situation where we could really run. Well, I could, but I would leave him behind, and I couldn't do that. Not when I, alone, knew all of our secrets, secrets that could become deadly, in time, even if I was too much of a coward to tell him. So, maybe he was right. Maybe we could make things better. Maybe Destiny could change.

And maybe Grima could actually be killed, but according to the legends, that was impossible, so… yeah.

Info on Lissa:

Class - Cleric; Reclass - Troubadour, Pegasus Knight

Sometimes called 'Buttons' by Kestrel

The Princess of Ylisse, born after her father's sudden death. Due to her royal upbringing, she is an accomplished rider of both horses and pegasi, though she prefers staying on foot.

Despite being Chrom's little sister, she is noted for being incredibly approachable, without even the formal accent common to most Ylissean nobles. Combined with her tendency to snort when laughing, a rather 'unladylike' trait that is normally trained out of noble girls her age, many forget she even is a princess.

Still, despite her naivety and childishness, she is eager to prove herself useful, being quite skilled with a Heal Staff. Whether or not she keeps this up after seeing a real war infirmary remains to be seen.

Author's note: And here's the chapter where the trading tutorial is used to rather cleverly enhance character's personalities. 'Ribald Tales of the Faith War', based off Genealogy of the Holy War, is mentioned in Sumia's supports as her favorite book. There's nothing in-game that suggests 'Sully' is a nickname; I just think 'Soiree' sounds more like something someone would actually name their kid. Sumia being the daughter of a Viscount isn't mentioned in game (actually, I'm not sure if Sumia is ever mentioned to being of nobility). Miriel being from a rich family is also headcanon, because of how expensive glasses could be back in the day.

Katri is a pseudo-canon character to FE7, taking the place of the cardboard tactician in my FE7 Novelization (A Tactician's Testimony). Alicia is not a canon character to FE4; she's the protagonist, and POV char, for my FE4 Novelization (Memoirs of the Holy War).

Next Chapter - Interlude, Road