"That's our cue! Come on Robin, let me show you the barracks," Exclaimed Lissa after Emmeryn offered Chrom to go on one of many meetings and before Robin could reply to Lissa, she was already dragging them out of the castle and towards the barracks.
"Lissa, could you please stop dragging me by my arm! You could pop it out of my socket!" Robin protested.
Lissa, being completely oblivious to Robin, suddenly turned around with a big smile on her face until she registered what Robin asked of her. She created an 'O' with her mouth and then sheepishly apologized to Robin "Sorry, I got caught up in the moment. I would let you go soon enough anyway since it is quite a long way towards the barracks.".
"It's okay, I just like arm functioning properly, that's all," Robin reassured Lissa with a smile.
"You know, you are really cute when you smile." Lissa smugly stated and Robin was a little flustered with Lissa's teasing, their cheeks reddening as they stammered their answer "C-Cute?".
"Oh, look at that, our fearless tactician loses to just a few nice words, not so intimidating now, are you?" Lissa continued with her teasing but couldn't hold her laughter anymore as she started to snort as well when she looked at Robin's face of blushing and discomfort.
"T-That look on you f-face i-is priceless!" Lissa answered between her fits of laughter which annoyed Robin and they start to briskly walk away. Although they didn't know where the barracks were, they only did so that Lissa could finally take them there.
"Fine, fine, I'll stop, but thanks for the quick laugh. Anyway, let's get going!" She chirped and hopped and led Robin out of the castle. Since it was made from white marble the walls and ceilings could easily reflect sunlight, making this place extremely bright, so bright Robin had to squint their eyes for the majority on their way towards Emmeryn.
They couldn't remember the way they came from nor the layout of the castle, but after some time had passed and the sun no longer being as harsh, Robin could now appreciate the castle itself. They were in a hallway that was close to the open gardens with many colorful flowers, bushes, and large trees covering them from the sun.
They passed by the area quickly and found themselves at the main hall that was large with many columns and arches, all carved with many motives, but the most common one was the Brand of the Exalt.
A staircase that led towards a massive set of doors, that led outside of the castle and was guarded by two gatekeepers.
When they saw Lissa, they automatically opened the door for her and she thanked them in return. If this was how Lissa normally acts, no wonder she was so endearing, her bubbliness was contagious to an effective degree.
"Now the way towards the barracks is a little complicated. Sadly, it isn't at the highest level of the city, but on the second. Since you are going to be with us for a while, a quick explanation is in order." Lissa started while pointing her index finger up to the sky.
"Now, there are three levels to this city, the highest being for nobility and dukes of other duchies in Ylisse. They use this level more as temporary housing when they do some business stuff that includes us. The second and third level aren't that different since when sister became the Exalt, she wanted to make sure there is as little amount of discrepancy between her people as possible, but the nobility here were jerks and pushed her to at least let them keep the highest level to themselves." Lissa explained. After the explanation, Lissa was a little winded but got her bearings so quickly you would think that she was just acting the whole 'being winded' part.
After leaving the castle and passing another set of gatekeepers who guarded the entrance to the highest level, they made their way towards the barracks. Robin was instantly able to tell the difference between the highest level and this one and they were quite happy with what they could see.
It seemed stuffy mansions were one of many things the tactician couldn't appreciate.
What they could appreciate were simplicity and functionality. The buildings here were well kept as well as the streets, with many people doing business inside of many different shops, but it was quiet and the right kind of quiet.
"Is it true you cannot conduct business in the streets on this level?" Suddenly asked Robin, aiming the question at Lissa, who turned around with a big smile on her face.
"Yup! Since a lot of people who come to the second level appreciate the peaceful atmosphere and quietness, Emmeryn prohibited merchants to sell their wares here. Everything is done at the lowest level and honestly, it can get really loud, even for me." She answered Robin's question, but then sheepishly added "Well, except for two places, this place is the definition of peaceful!".
"I can see that and by the look of your expression, we are going to visit the not so peaceful places," Robin remarked with a bemused smile and the princess pouted.
"You are as observant as ever I see, even off the battlefield."
"You are saying that like I am not a person when I am not in my element." Robin huffed slightly, but Lissa then amended her slight jab at Robin "Please, you know I didn't mean it like that. Come on! We are almost there!".
She started to slightly jog towards the barracks, waving for Robin for them to keep up. How Lissa could move this well in her corset was a mystery to Robin. From what they heard from Chrom, even he sometimes questioned how she did it.
If it was such a mystery that even her brother didn't know the answer to then this was something Robin had to find out. Although they had a hunch as to why, Lissa was probably just used to it by now since she was a princess.
"And here we are!" Lissa proudly exclaimed and the first impression of the barracks was functionality making them smile.
They like this place already, it looked like any other building they came across, made from stone, wooden roof. The only difference was its size and how much ground it was occupied by the training areas.
There was also a single person besides the doors leading to the barracks. He was a young-looking man in his twenties, having brown unkempt hair, brown eyes, a carefree expression on his face, and armor similar to Sully, except his armor was green instead of red, he was probably another cavalier of the Shepherds.
"Hey, Lissa. How was your first mission?" Asked the knight in green with a smile.
"Hi, Stahl! The mission was successful and completed without a single issue, thanks to me of course!" Lissa happily replied while straightening her poster, puffing her chest, and putting her hands on her hips, which prompted the green knight now named Stahl to chuckle alongside Robin, who found it just as comical.
"I am sure you were an asset. Anyway, who is this, another recruit?" Asked Stahl and Lissa instead of answering his question, she instead said "I am going to introduce Robin to all of the Shepherds in the main hall.".
"Well, it is nice to meet you Robin, but somebody needs to stay here on guard duty sadly, but I am sure will get to know each other soon enough anyway," Stahl said a little deflated but then extended his arm for Robin to shake and Robin obliged.
"It is nice to meet you too, Stahl," Robin replied as they shook hands with Stahl. It was surprising that the knight's grip was strong and firm, but it didn't hurt.
"Come on let's get you inside and meet everyone! See you, Stahl!" Lissa then grabbed Robin by the arm again and got dragged by Lissa into the main hall before Robin could bid Stahl farewell, so they opted with a weird side wave with the other arm Lissa didn't grab.
Before Robin could analyze their surroundings to get a feel for the barracks, they were already in the main hall. How could Lissa be so fast? And how was Robin able to keep up with her was also a mystery.
"Tada! Welcome to the barracks of the Shepherds. Make yourself at home." Lissa threw her hands in front of her, showing the 'beauty' of the main hall, and Robin's thoughts were so conflicted that she just had to voice them out loud.
"This… is the largest mess I have ever seen in my life and I can confirm that even with my amnesia."
This place was the definition of the aftermath of an overloaded spell exploding. Papers littered the ground, no matter their importance, broken lances were leaning on boxes filled with probably important resources, that no one cared to distribute. There was also a single table in the main hall with many chairs probably meant for group meetings and when there was time for a meal.
Lissa then sheepishly pulled back her extended hands, started to fidget with her fingers, and then explained why the main hall was so disorganized "Well like I said, this place is one of two places where the whole 'second level being all peaceful' thing kind of falls flat on its face. The maids who were cleaning up this place said that this is a lost cause and left after consoling my brother about it. The Shepherds are an interesting bunch sure, but we are like a big family!".
She tried to amend the situation, which then Robin promised to themselves to never visit the second-place Lissa mentioned. Robin started to hear some sort of banter coming from one of the hallways leading towards the main hall.
"I told you, if you had me there, every one of those things would fall to the ol' Teach in one fell swoop!" shouted a blond man, who appeared right next to the red cavalier Sully and was boasting. He had spiky hair and a muscular build, but the weirdest thing about him was that he wore no shirt. Did he think by showing his muscles he was going to be more attractive? Well, Robin wasn't one to judge people's preferences, but having muscle wasn't everything in their opinion.
"Please, you would only serve as a big meat shield for us. If those things didn't take so long to kill, I would shove my lance right up their a-!" however, before Sully could finish, Lissa interrupted their banter.
"Sully! Vaike! Over here!" Both looked in the direction where Lissa was and made their way towards her, deciding that this was going to be more interesting than their never-ending banter.
"Hey, squirt, how ye doin'? I am pretty sure Chrom needed more help on the patrol from ol' Teach and his trusty ax!" Proudly boasted the shirtless warrior, making the cavalier scoff slightly, but it went mostly ignored by the company. It did not stop Lissa to poke fun at the self-proclaimed teacher.
"You, Teach!? What are you going to teach me, how to constantly lose my staff?"
"Hey, that was one time I forgot my ax! Ok, maybe twice but training sessions with Frederick don't count! You should be worried about your life instead, not your weapon!" Vaike tried to justify his misdeeds, but something about 'worrying about your life when training with Frederick' brought a cold shiver down Robin's spine. They didn't like where Vaike went with that, hopefully, he was just over exaggerating.
"Anyway, who is the newbie? It isn't often we get new faces here." Vaike said in a nonchalant tone, but still curious as to who Robin was.
"I'll introduce you once everyone is here, Sully could brink everyone here?" Lissa asked Sully, and she nodded, heading towards the quarters, meaning the way Vaike and Sully came from must be the way to the training grounds.
"So, what's your name?" Vaike asked, pointing his question at Robin.
"My name is Robin. It is a pleasure to meet you, Vaike." Robin replied politely, trying hard not to offend the shirtless warrior. They also got a small whiff of Vaike's sweat and it took all their willpower not to wince at the smell. They were probably training back there, and he needed a bath quickly. Now that they thought about it, Robin was probably also smelled terrible.
Vaike was scrutinizing Robin with his gaze while having one hand on his chin, looking up and down. After a few seconds, he sighed and backed away slightly, giving Robin some personal space again.
"Bah, and here I thought I would finally have a new drinking buddy, but you and that bib wearin' guy don't look like you can handle a mug or three," Vaike stated after his inspection, which Robin didn't know how to respond to.
How did alcohol even taste like?
They didn't know if they ever drunk alcohol in the past, but something told them that Vaike was probably right. They weren't someone who can handle their alcohol much and they thought they didn't need to remedy that.
"Well Vaike, not everyone has guts that can hold an entire barrel's worth of ale and you already have Sully for that." Lissa huffed and crossed her arms, disappointed that Vaike even suggested such a thing.
"Plus, you don't know if Robin prefers wine, ale, cider, you name it. Robin doesn't remember because of amnesia." Lissa added, which surprised Vaike slightly.
"Wait, you don't know anything about yourself?" Vaike blurted out, to which Robin just simply nodded. Lissa had a smirk on her face and had a remark at the ready, prepared to jab at Vaike yet again.
"You know what the word 'amnesia' means? Wow Vaike, I am impressed. What's next? You will start to read books or something?"
"Hey! I am not that stupi-!" But before Vaike got to finish, a voice interrupted him from the quarters and a noble-looking girl with blonde curly hair holding a parasol rushed inside the main hall.
"Lissa, my treasure!" said the noble girl in a worried tone, while simultaneously hugging the princess and Lissa hugged her back.
"Hey, Maribelle!" exclaimed Lissa after breaking off from the hug and the noble lady Maribelle huffed and then berated the princess while holding her parasol with both hands.
"Oh hey yourself! I sprouted fourteen grey hairs just fretting over you! You must stop doing this to me, my dear. I am going to lose all my hair color at this rate."
"Oh, you worry too much, I can survive a battle or two. Although the bear barbecue and the bugs weren't necessary." To which Robin wholeheartedly disagreed.
Bear meat was the best meal they ever had, it was juicy, rich and a slight amount of game made the meal memorable. The bugs did get a little annoying, but since one got inside Lissa's mouth, they could see why she wouldn't see the appeal as they did.
"You should have seen Maribelle bolt out of her room when I mentioned you came back, and she is the one who says we have no class!" Sully guffawed at Maribelle's anticks and she stiffened, but quickly composed herself.
"I most certainly did not, I was just concerned about Lissa, that is all.". She rebuked.
Robin also noticed another figure behind Sully. She looked quite meek, in comparison to the red cavalier. She had ashen-grey colored hair that flows down to her midsection, wore armor that looked much lighter than Sully's, and was pink instead. She looked something akin to a pegasus knight because they saw a few of them wearing similar armor when Emmeryn visited the lowest level of the city.
"Whatever you say, Mari, anyway I know where Stahl is, but where are Miriel, Ricken, and Kellam?" Asked Lissa once she tried to spot the people in question.
"Miriel and Ricken are doing some sort of research right now. Ricken left a note saying that it was a request made by Chrom." Sully shrugged "As to what it is, I think once Chrom comes here he will tell us himself and Kellam… I don't know really; he probably is here right now.".
Robin was then able to hear some sort of muffled sound that came from their left, but when they turned around, they saw nothing there. They were probably just hallucinating or something, maybe it was just another side-effect to their amnesia.
"So, everyone, let me introduce you to one of the two newest Shepherds, Robin! Robin will be our tactician from now on, so we finally won't just rush into battle without a plan! Robin has many tricks as well; with swordplay and magic being just the tip of the iceberg!" Lissa introduced Robin with a little more flare than necessary and it made the tactician a little sheepish.
"It is a pleasure to meet all of you." She greeted, trying to be as polite as possible.
"Well, can you do this!?" Vaike puffed up his chest and hit himself a few times before unleashing a monster of a belch, almost echoing in the barracks.
The hall becomes eerie silent, some smacked their head, while others were almost ready to burst into laughter. Maybe this was the chance for Robin to break the silence. She steeled themselves and replied "Looks like I will need some belching lessons from you 'Teach' in the future, but like I said it is a pleasure to meet you.".
"Uh, Vaike that was disgusting! Can you not pollute the air with your nasty breath?!" Maribelle said, she then pointed her parasol squarely at Robin "And you, Robin! Don't encourage him. Honestly, I thought you were cut from a finer cloth, but it looks like I was wrong in my assumption. That Virion fellow looks much more promising." She then walked away from the main hall, probably to find said archer. The room was eerie silent again and now Robin was disappointed at their attempt to deflate the situation and slumped slightly, but then the pegasus knight comforted them.
"Don't worry, Maribelle isn't always like that. She warms up to people slowly. The name is Sumia by the way." She said while having a bright smile and Robin returned the smile, indicating her comforting worked to some extent.
"Or she burns them too quickly. But don't worry, just give her some time." Lissa remarked about her friend while giggling at the antics, no wonder she said that the Shepherds were a colorful bunch. If things like these happened here often then Robin thought there was nothing to worry about.
They thought an amnesiac will fit into this group of misfits without many issues.
"Anyway, do you know when our captain will come back from the meeting?" Sumia asked Lissa, a little bit flustered when she asked about Chrom.
"It is nice to see you worry about my brother Sumia, but you don't have to worry about him, he will come soon enough," Lissa answered in a bemused tone and a smirk in place. Sumia's cheeks reddened slightly and stammered during her answer "O-Of course I would worry about him, he is my-I mean our captain, after all.".
As if on cue, Chrom emerged from the entrance with Stahl at his side without his pauldron. He then looked around to see that everyone was getting acquainted with their new tactician, which put a smile on his face.
"I see everyone is getting to know our new tactician, I hate to interrupt this pleasant conversation, but I got something to announce," Chrom said in a tone filled with bemusement and also authority, but before he could announce anything, Sumia started to speak.
"Captain! Oh, we are so glad to see-!" But before Sumia could finish, she somehow tripped and faceplanted on the ground. After everyone in the room winced at what happened, Robin checked what could Sumia possibly trip over, but they couldn't spot anything out of the ordinary.
"Sumia! Are you ok!?" exclaimed Chrom worriedly who then helped Sumia back on her feet "Those boots of yours again?".
When Robin turned around to see Lissa giggling and trying her best to hold her laughter, she spotted Robin eyeing her. Lissa then looked back at Robin with a smirk in place, who in turn mouthed a question "Does he know?".
Lissa giggled again and then shook her head. Robin thought that Chrom's obliviousness was just a joke, but this was just a whole other level of obliviousness, it was like he was immune to the attractiveness of the fairer sex.
"T-Thank you, captain." Sumia bashfully accepted Chrom's hand and then backed away from Chrom, who just looked confused. This just hurt to watch for Robin, since she didn't know how long this was going on, but from the looks of other Shepherds, this seemed to be a normal occurrence. The Shepherds just have to pray that Chrom will finally realize what was going on between him and Sumia.
"Anyway, I have three announcements to make. The first is welcoming Robin as our tactician and an archer named Virion into the Shepherds. Congratulations." And everyone started to clap for Robin who accepted the gesture and slightly bowed to everyone. Sadly, Virion wasn't here, and nobody knew where he currently was.
"The second thing is our next mission. Because of the new menace that has surfaced on our lands and our military force isn't ideal, we, as an envoy, will journey to Regna Ferox to agree to an alliance with the khans there to request some of their troops." Chrom explained to the group, but Robin didn't know what Regna Ferox was, so they voiced their question out loud to which Sumia responded "It is country to the north of here, it is supposedly occupied by barbarians, from what I have been told.".
"Warriors is what they are and are needed here to deal with the Risen, the undead-like creatures we faced on our way towards Ylisstol. We will leave in one week and this mission is strictly voluntary so if anyone doesn't want to-." Before Chrom could finish that sentence, Lissa stepped in, crossed her arms, and huffed a response.
"Do you even need to ask that last part, of course, everyone will go, am I right guys?" And everyone in the group shouted an "Aye!" for Chrom to hear and he swelled with pride. He was sure if Frederick was here, he would too swell with pride, although to a much lesser extent.
"Alright, then there is one last announcement to make. The bandits that attacked Southtown were quelled by me, Lissa, Frederick, and Robin." Chrom wanted to continue but was interrupted by Lissa, again.
"That is old news, there isn't anything else to talk about, is there?"
"There is. Few of the bandits were able to escape and were almost able to attack a nearby village that is close to the road which leads towards Ylisstol." Chrom elaborated and Robin saw what the prince wanted to say so they continued Chrom's train of thought "You said almost, meaning somebody stopped them and from the sound of it, it wasn't the village militia.".
"You are correct, friend. When a patrol was checking the place where the bandits were last seen, instead of bandits they found corpses of them. When they asked the village nearby if they knew anything about what happened, they came empty-handed." Chrom said while he started to rummage through his satchel attached to his side.
"When they inspected the corpses, they found that most of their valuable possessions were stolen and that is not the worst part. The way they were killed was… interesting to say the least. There was a total of four bandits and two of them died using this." Chrom then picked up from his pocket a narrow object wrapped in leather. When he unwrapped it, everyone got close enough to see the item.
"Chrom, that is a piece of ice. You said this is important, but you just had to say something about a shard of ice?" Sully deadpanned, while most had a bewildered look on their faces.
"Sully, they found two of these buried inside the bandits," Chrom said seriously, earning a few looks from the Shepherds.
"This ice isn't normal, the reason why Ricken and Miriel aren't here is that they are conducting experiments on this ice. When you try to heat it through normal means, it doesn't melt. When you try to hit it with a hammer, it bounces off of it. It never loses its coldness as well. The only conclusion they were able to make is that the one who conjured this ice has an ice affinity to magic." Chrom explained and nobody knew what to say until Vaike came and picked up the narrow ice block before the prince had a chance to stop him.
"Please, they haven't tried my level of strength!" As Vaike finished, he readied himself to throw the ice shard against a wall, and with all his might and a shout, he threw the shard. Now everyone expected the shard of ice to shatter to pieces, but instead, with a loud bang, it got stuck inside the wall making a decently sized hole.
Now nobody knew what they should be more impressed with, either with Vaike throwing the ice shard so hard it created a hole inside of a wall or the ice not breaking. Most people went with the latter while some opted for both.
Chrom was the least shaken by Vaike's anticks and continued "As I said, the ice looks to be unbreakable. The only lead we have right now is that a day before they found the bodies is that a traveler was passing by the village for supplies and was aiming for Ylisstol." That got the attention of the Shepherds again from the shard that was sticking from the wall.
"From the description we could get from the villagers, he was armed with a sword and had a unique dark-blue coat with brown hair with hints of platinum or snow color, like Robin. If they caused it then we just have to hope he is with us. For all we know we might meet him in a tavern somewhere around here and they said the coat he had was so unique they called it like it was from another world, although that is something hard to believe in."
"You think it could be that Marth fellow?" Stahl asked the prince, but he shook his head.
"No, we saw him what he looked like and he doesn't match the description," Chrom said, ending his report, but the Shepherds haven't dispersed yet like they were waiting for Chrom to say something.
"So that should be it. Anyone ready for some rounds to celebrate the newcomers?" Chrom asked the group with a slight smirk and Sully and Vaike jumped at the opportunity.
"Hell yeah, all this mumbo jumbo stuff just isn't Teach's style, but mugs of ale are!" shouted Vaike.
"Ready to be beaten to the ground in a mug contest again!?" Sully challenged the shirtless warrior whose grin was almost splitting his head.
"Hah, you wish, to the tavern we go!" And both ran out of the hall and aimed for their destination filled with barrels and bad smells.
"I am guessing we are going to the second not peaceful place of this level?" Robin remarked out of nowhere which brought out chuckles of other people who haven't yet charged for the pub.
"You could say it like that, we are quite famous around here because of our ruckus, so Emm had to select a specific tavern where we the Shepherds can go to," Chrom explained to Robin who snorted at the thought of Emmeryn needing to select a tavern for her brother and sister.
"You have no idea how much fun we have in the tavern! Most of the people who go there know us and we know them as well. We share stories of travels and adventures; they even named the tavern after us! Come on, we have to catch up to Sully and Vaike!" Lissa sprinted away at speeds that should be impossible with her outfit, but Robin no longer questioned it.
"How about you Stahl, Sumia?" Chrom asked the duo and Stahl nodded and went after Lissa and the rest of the crew. Sumia however politely declined, saying she didn't enjoy it as much which Chrom understood.
"Aren't you going to ask me too, if I'll go or not?" Robin asked Chrom with a slight smirk and the prince answered "You have to try alcohol sometimes since you have amnesia and we can't have the main reason going to the tavern without us, no?".
"You bring a good point there; I just hope I won't intoxicate myself too much." Robin sighed in exasperation, Chrom laughed and prompted Robin to follow him. However, before they reached the door that leads outside, Chrom picked up the block of ice that was stuck inside the wall and put it inside the leather pouch again.
When they exited the barracks both of them were surprised to see that the rest of the crew waited for them near the entrance.
"Come on guys, pick up the pace! Can't have the star of the show be left behind!" Lissa exclaimed which brought a smile from Robin. They thought this group will be nice to be around soon.
As their silver ponytails were thrown around by the wind they looked back to the barracks and were happy with their choice by staying with them. Whatever shall fate bring them, they will face it with them, together.
{*}{*}{*}{*}{*}{*}
"All right! Time to celebrate the newcomers!" Exclaimed Vaike as he kicked down the door to the tavern which silenced the place entirely for a few moments before cheers could be heard from the said tavern.
"He just kicked down the door, won't he have to pay for it later!?" Robin thought. But it looked like the patrons just didn't seem to care, even the bartender wasn't faced by this. These questions just keep piling up for Robin, smoke was starting to come from her head.
"Just don't question it, the people around here stopped some time ago." Suggested Chrom to Robin who just said to herself "Just roll with it.".
"Don't you dare start the runs without me, you muscle head!" Sully followed Vaike inside and before Robin knew they were already at their first mug like it was ready for them to take.
"Come on Robin, I know just thing to start with and a small mug of cider will be a great start!" Suggested Lissa and went to the bartender. Before Robin could stop her, she was already back with an extra mug with a cyder.
"Lissa, I told you I don't want to overdo it today." Robin tried to remind Lissa, but she started to laugh.
"Please, cyder is the weakest type of alcohol you can drink, it is the only thing they allow me to drink anyway. Taste it, it is much sweeter than regular ale." She reassured while handing Robin the mug and she reluctantly took it. Robin looked at the beverage, it had deep yellow color, probably from the great amount of sugar inside.
"All right! Does everybody have a mug of anything!?" Chrom shouted to the entire pub and he got many different types of conformations, some of them being a little questionable.
"Then cheers to the new Shepherds!" The prince raised his mug, and all the patrons follow suit and echoed Chrom "To the new Shepherds!" and everyone took a big swig of all their beverages.
This was a little too much for Robin as when she looked around, she could see that all the Shepherds that came with her were all enjoying themselves.
Stahl was playing some sort of card game with other people from the tavern. Chrom and Lissa were talking with many of the locals and Vaike and Sully were probably on their… actually, Robin didn't know how many rounds the duo already drank, but they looked sober enough so probably not too many.
Robin looked back at her beverage and had mixed feelings about it. It was sweet, but the bitterness was just not pleasant at all in the drink. It wasn't bad, it was probably some sort of acquired taste, but right now it just didn't taste good enough for her. Now that she thought about it, she felt slightly left out, since everyone was trying to intoxicate themselves to a degree Robin had no idea about.
It would be nice to find someone to talk to at least.
She didn't want to interrupt any of the Shepherds in their activities, so she opted for finding someone else to talk to. She wasn't the most outgoing person, but it couldn't hurt her to try. She looked around the tavern in search of some company and she spotted someone soon enough.
He sat at the corner table, slowly sipping his drink, and looked like he was just observing the chaos that unfolded here, so maybe he was also seeking company? She steeled herself and went to the man and she was able to assess him better. He looked like to be in his early twenties, with brown unkempt hair with a few hints of platinum and snow-white color, he wore an… interesting dark-blue coat.
That description fits him perfectly with the person they were looking for.
"Who would have thought we would find him here of all places." Robin thought to herself, but probably apprehending him right now wouldn't be the best idea. All of the Shepherds weren't armed except Chrom who has his sword Falchion at his side at all times.
"You know, it is rude to stare at people for so long without their consent." Said their mysterious individual, snapping Robin out of her thoughts.
"Oh, excuse me. I hope I didn't make you uncomfortable." Robin responded, trying to amend her situation. Hopefully, she wasn't staring at him for too long.
"Yes, you did, that's why I voiced my discomfort. Anyway, I can already tell you are green when it comes to alcohol and drinking, aren't you?" Said the coat-wearing man in a manner of fact tone and a smirk to boot. He was very observant if he was able to pick up on Robin's distaste for alcohol.
"How did you find out?" Asked Robin, but instead of answering the question the coat-wearing man prompted Robin to sit down instead.
"Come on, sit down. I don't bite. Not only I can teach you how to handle alcohol better, but also give you some much-needed company, plus I was getting lonely myself."
Robin was reluctant at first since if this was the person who killed those four bandits must be skilled enough to do so without any issues, but getting information out of him can also prove fruitful without him finding her out.
Eventually, Robin complied and sat down on the other side of the table against this stranger.
"Wasn't so hard now, was it? So, what do you need to talk about? The name is Radko by the way." He asked and Robin already got one answer she needed without her even needing to ask, although the name did sound foreign to her. She didn't remember much, but a name like that definitely wasn't common here.
"My name is Robin. It is a pleasure to meet you. So, can you tell me how people can enjoy anything remotely similar to… this?" Robin asked while poting at her cider. Her first question was more of a personal one since the way he said about teaching her about alcohol meant he must have some experience. He tried to explain what it meant to hang out in a pub, getting drunk, acquiring a taste for alcohol, and other miscellaneous things.
He then asked back about a topic Robin had no idea he would brink, magic.
How he could have guessed she was a mage was beyond her, but Radko asked about rudimentary knowledge. The question he asked felt like he was a novice at best, not someone who could conjure unbreakable ice.
He was an enigma, just like herself, but she was able to enjoy the talk they had. She almost forgot that this was the guy who was able to kill the bandits that escaped from Southtown. The keyword was almost, she was still wary of Radko, no matter how carefree his attitude was.
Their conversation was interrupted by a slightly drunk Vaike and Sully. Robin didn't know how much time has passed since they started drinking, but from the looks of it both of them looked fine, for the most part.
"Heya Robin, who is your companion here? First time seein' him here too." Asked Vaike in a slightly slurry voice. Instead of Robin answering the question, Radko beat her to it and said "The name's Radko. Nice to meet you too.".
"Heh, that's a weird name. Hey, do you know how we greet new people here?" Asked Sully out of the blue with the same tone as Vaike and Radko shook his head, prompting Sully to answer with a smirk in place.
"We have a drinking contest with them!" Sully loudly proclaimed.
Robin was starting to get worried about where this was going. Even if this was someone they needed to interrogate, they didn't need to intoxicate him, but when she looked at Radko, he had a deadly grin on him.
"Alright then," He answered while sitting up from his chair and went with Sully and Vaike to the bar. He looked back at Robin who had a slightly concerned face, but he gave her a thumbs up and got ready for the contest.
"Hey Chrom, Lissa, we got a newbie here in the tavern! You know what that means!" Sully shouted across the tavern. Chrom and Lissa turned around to see Sully and Vaike and all of them had smirks on their faces. Robin was not liking where this was going.
"Hah, bartender! Bring out the Shepherd's special for three!" Chrom shouted, also slightly drunk, to the bartender who sighed and started to prepare thirteen mugs of ale on a tray.
"Thirteen!? Are they trying to kill him!?" Robin shouted in her head while ogling the massive tray.
"The rules are simple. You, me, and Vaike will have to drink three mugs as fast as possible. The one who finishes first doesn't have to drink anything extra, while the losers drink two mugs on top of the three they need to drink. Think you can handle it?" Sully explained and boasted at the same time, to which Radko's deadly smile was still plastered on his face, like a lion ready to sink his fangs inside his prey.
"You two have no idea who you are dealing with." Radko shot back.
"Hah, bold words for a noble-looking kid!" Vaike shouted and everyone gathered around to watch the contest. All the patrons started to bet who will be the fastest one, but nobody betted on Radko for obvious reasons. He looked lean and slightly refined, but after the conversation Robin had with him, he seemed to know his alcohol fairly well, but if this was a common occurrence then his chances of winning were quite small.
"Alright! Can I know the name of our contestant?" Chrom asked Radko for his name and he gave it to the prince, which put a smile on Chrom's face, but it then morphed into a grin yet again "Don't throw up, okay Radko?".
"Please, I have no intention of losing to these chumps who don't know what good alcohol tastes like." Radko boasted. This was just getting out of line, there was no reason for him to participate, but he did so anyway. Robin sighed and opted to just watch the contest hoping nothing wrong will happen.
"I like your spirit, hopefully, it won't get crushed by them." Chrom pointed at Vaike, Sully. Radko was on one side while Sully and Vaike on the other. All three of them had three mugs in front of them and were ready for the contest to begin.
"Is everyone ready!?" Shouted Lissa and she got nods from all three contestants and she begun the countdown.
"Three… two… one… Go!" And they all started gulping down the first mug of ale. Everyone was on high alert, trying to see who will put down the first mug, hoping it would be either Vaike or Sully, depending on who they betted on.
To everyone's and contestants' surprise, the one who slammed with the first emptied mug was Radko and he didn't stop there, he immediately started to drink the second one while Sully and Vaike were finishing their first and were trying their best to speed up their drinking.
The second round ended with everyone hitting their mugs at the same time and everyone started to cheer for either Sully or Vaike, not Radko. They drank for a few seconds and everyone was in suspense seeing all three of them drink their last mug. Radko came out on top and slammed his last empty mug on the table, closely before Vaike could and then Sully. The whole bar didn't know how to react, this was probably the first time a newcomer had ever won against those two.
"So, no applause? Seeing everyone's baffled faces, this doesn't happen often. Well as the rules imply, start drinking. I will sit comfortably here and enjoy the moment." Radko said smugly while taking a seat on one of the stools near the bar and just enjoyed the initiation he was getting.
"He is enjoying this way too much." Robin's thoughts resurfaced. Not only that, but those three mugs didn't seem to make him drunk at all. He was a little tipsy, but he hid it so well, you would think he was just having a good day. The one who broke the silence was Lissa of all people.
"Holy wow! He did it! Hah, look at their faces, this is just priceless!" She then started to laugh and not long after her, her brother joined in the laughter as well until the entire pub was laughing, well, except Sully and Vaike who just couldn't comprehend the idea of losing to a supposed noble kid in a contest they were well familiar with.
"Now that's more like it," Radko remarked after the whole pub's outburst of laughter but was only heard by him alone.
"Ah, man. I never thought I would find someone who would beat Sully and Vaike at the same time in the drinking contest. If it weren't for Frederick, I would take you in immediately!" Chrom stated, following with more laughter since Sully and Vaike still weren't able to get out of their trance.
After the whole pub calmed down, Robin thought it is time to tell Chrom who he was suggesting to joining the Shepherds. She stood up from her seat and walked towards Chrom who was talking to Radko right now, probably about how he was able to win.
"Chrom, do you have a moment?" Robin asked and Chrom turned around from his conversation with their probable target and faced Robin. After processing what she asked of him he excused himself from his conversation with Radko and followed Robin to the place where she was sitting just a few moments ago.
"What's wrong Robin? Do you not like it here?" He asked in a curious tone, prompting Robin to speak her mind.
"No, it is fine here I guess, but that's not why I called you here. You acquainted yourself with Radko, yes?" She asked him to which he nodded and allowed Robin to continue.
"Well, there is a high chance he is our culprit to the unbreakable ice," Robin stated and immediately Chrom sobered up and started to pay full attention while resting his left hand on the pommel of his blade.
"You think it is him?" He asked and pointed at Radko, who was currently enjoying seeing Sully and Vaike drinking the rest of their mugs since they lost the contest.
"Brown hair with hints of color like mine, weird dark-blue coat? He fits the description perfectly." She stated and when Chrom carefully looked at him, he could see the similarities as well.
"Yes, he does, but he doesn't strike me as a fighter." Chrom voiced his thoughts about this Radko fellow and Robin also added a surprising remark "He also is a novice mage as well, I was able to talk to him and his questions about magic were surprising, to say the least. Most of the things he wanted to know about were simple things that we all take for granted when it comes to magic like he was never able to experience it or something.".
Unknown to them, Radko was eavesdropping on the duo, currently conflicted with what actions he should take after hearing what they were talking about him of all people.
"What should we do? Vaike, Lissa, and Sully are currently too drunk to help us and Stahl… disappeared somewhere." Chrom asked Robin to form a strategy on how to effectively suppress their target, but before Robin could suggest anything, Radko walked up to them sooner than expected.
"Have to say, I didn't expect myself to berate someone twice in one day about their manners. It isn't nice to gossip about people that are close enough to hear you," Radko remarked in a slightly annoyed tone. Chrom was the first one to reply to Radko.
"I apologize. We didn't mean to be rude."
"It's alright. I was eavesdropping on you in turn and heard that you were looking for me. Well, as much as I would like to clear up this misunderstanding, I think it would be better to go outside from prying ears. It probably is a delicate topic. I'll go first, and wait for you outside of the tavern." Radko said and left them, going outside as he told. The duo looked stunned that their target was so nonchalant about the fact that he was going to be interrogated.
"Well, I wasn't expecting that. I thought he was going to run away. Also, he bereted you once already?" Chrom asked Robin, bewildered at Radko's remark earlier.
"Yes, he did, and he was quite frank about it too, almost too frank." Robin huffed her response, prompting Chrom to chuckle.
"Aren't we supposed to follow him outside? We need to interrogate him after all." Robin steered the conversation back to what they were supposed to be doing.
"Yes that is true, there are several things we need to ask him, and if I like his answers…" Chrom trailed off with a smile, while Robin just sighed and asked Chrom "You will try to recruit him? Chrom, as much as most Shepherds would be ecstatic to get a new member, we already have enough people already.".
"Don't be like that, I think he has potential." Chrom tried to justify his poorly timed recruitment.
"I think you say that to everybody. This is getting nowhere, let's just go." Robin urged Chrom to meet Radko outside. He also noticed Lissa having a good time, so he just ignored her and aimed for the exit.
When they got outside the night was still young, so the visibility was still decent and they spotted Radko leaning on the wooden wall of the tavern, holding an open book in his hand with a blue cover, but when he saw both Robin and Chrom he put it back inside his coat. Stretching slightly and giving out a satisfying sigh, he then turned to face them, while crossing his arms.
"Looks like you've come. Be frank with your questions and I'll comply, I don't like dancing around the issue." Radko said in a no-nonsense attitude, surprising Robin that Radko could be serious as well.
"Alright then, were you the one who killed those four bandits near a small village close to the road from Southtown to Ylisse and if so, can you state your reason as to why you did it?" Chrom complied by getting straight to the point and both Robin and Chrom could see the shift in Radko's expression. He looked vulnerable and to a certain extent, scared like he regretted doing something that went against his nature.
"Yes, I did, the reason as to why…. The village the bandits wanted to raid helped me in my travels to get here despite my looks and I met the bandits on my way through the forest. I did what I thought was necessary and… killed them." Chrom was already liking his answer, but there was a certain weakness in Radko's voice that was quite familiar to him since he had to go through the same trouble that currently haunted Radko like an ominous cloud.
"Those were your first kills, weren't they? I have to say I am impressed, being able to defeat them all while being outnumbered and green to combat." Chrom praised Radko but he scoffed and dismissed Chrom's praise immediately.
"That wasn't a fair fight for one side, I ambushed them and was able to kill two of them before the real fight even began." He explained, sounding like he regretted not giving the bandits a chance to fight back and that was what intrigued Robin. He was able to assess a situation, stayed calm, and turned it in his favor. Maybe Chrom was right about his potential, not all people could easily win a four-to-one fight, no matter how skilled a person can be.
"Alright, then I would like to answer another question, is this yours?" Chrom asked and fished out a block of ice that Vaike threw back inside the barracks. Radko looked stunned at first but then a solemn look beheld his features.
"So, they really don't melt…" He trailed off.
"By the look on your face, it is yours, isn't it?" Chrom asked once more.
Radko instead opened the same book he was reading just a few moments ago, rummaging through its pages to find something he was looking for. Once he found it, he touched the tome and sparks started to form around his hand until a small snowstorm appeared. Chrom stiffened slightly and brought his hand to the pommel of Falchion again.
"Don't worry, I won't do anything to hurt you," Radko reassured and the snowstorm then created another icicle that had a similar size as the one Chrom had. Radko then smiled at his creation, from what neither of them could decipher.
"Well, does this answer your question?" He asked slightly bemused.
"It does, although that still doesn't explain how you can conjure ice. From our conversation back in the tavern, you sounded like you have never experimented with magic until recently." Robin asked to which Radko just shrugged.
"If I told you the truth, not only it would leave you disappointed, but also I am trying to find the answers myself," Radko explained, while crushing the icicle in his hand with his magic but Robin wasn't satisfied with his answer.
"You said that you don't like to beat around the bush," Robin stated, slightly irritated that Radko wasn't following his promise, but he wasn't relenting.
"As much as this conversation is pleasant, my secrets are mine to keep and share," Radko said resolutely, annoying Robin even further.
"Argh, I hate him already and Chrom wants to recruit him!?" the visible frustration on Robin's face didn't go unnoticed by the other two males, which prompted Chrom to start laughing, probably knowing what Robin found frustrating while Chrom found endearing.
"You are an interesting individual, Radko. I think you are the first person who was able to irritate our new tactician and outdrink our buddies, but that is beside the point. Say Radko, do you have some skill when it comes to the way of the blade?" Chrom asked Radko out of the blue and the question surprised them both, although Robin knew where he was aiming with it.
"He wants him!? This week just can't get any weirder." Robin facepalmed herself in her mind. One thought had yet again resurfaced "Just roll with it, Robin. Just roll with it." with quite the amount of exasperation.
"I mean, I kind of do, but it isn't anything to write home about. If you want to test me right now though, you can see I don't have my sword with me, and going inside my room to retrieve a weapon would be conspicuous, to say the least." Radko said, further emphasizing his point by lifting his coat and confirmed that there wasn't a weapon on him except the tome.
Seeing as the pages didn't seem to disappear when he brushed his hand against his tome nor did he say an incantation out loud, meant it is a personal tome and he was a novice.
He really was an enigma.
"I guess there is something we have in common. Loathe I am to admit it." Robin conceded, although not liking it one bit.
Chrom put his hand in front of him gesturing that he did nothing wrong "That is alright, I wasn't expecting you to have a weapon with you to begin with. Say, would you like to join the Shepherds, for real this time?".
With the baffled look on Radko's face, this was something he wasn't expecting. In the pub he only ruled it out as a joke, but now he was genuinely asked to join. Robin just facepalmed and didn't understand Chrom's logic anymore. It looked like she was going to need to have a few words with the prince about future recruitments, not to mention Frederick would have to put Radko through the wringer and she didn't think he would be able to survive it if Vaike's earlier statement about Fredericks training was anything to go by.
What surprised both Chrom and Robin was his answer, as he slumped his shoulders and head.
"As much as I would want to join your group Chrom, I can't. I think I would be just a liability honestly, on and off the battlefield. To tell you the truth, you could compare me to a noble. I lived a life of luxury and piece, up until recently due to unfortunate circumstances. I never needed to fight for my life, nor to worry if there is going to be something to eat. I need to harden myself at my own pace. If I would join you, I would need to operate as a soldier, not as an individual."
Radko's reasoning had struck a chord with both Robin and Chrom, but differently for each. Robin was relieved at first that he declined the invitation, fearing for his safety, but the way he said it was like he wanted to join.
He said it himself, but he knew he wasn't skillful enough to join. He might downplay himself slightly since it's not every day you see a mage have an affinity with ice of all things, but with the way he was shifting away from her and Chrom, his decision was clear.
For Chrom, he was disappointed, to say the least. Radko looked like an interesting person that he would like to get to know better since he was able to beat Shepherds' best drinkers. He can already tell that he won't change his mind, but he said he just needs time. Chrom still hasn't seen Radko's swordplay yet and what tricks he had up his sleeves.
"It is disheartening for me to get turned down, but I will not force you to join, it is your decision, after all. At least let me thank you for saving the village, I would like to give you some sort of compensation, but I don't have anything to give right now." Chrom slumped slightly while Robin breathed a sigh of relief, thanking Radko that he had some sense at least.
"That isn't necessary, but the gesture is appreciated. At least I feel good enough that you said I did the right thing, and it helps me out a lot." Radko said with a hand raised "But don't feel bad, I didn't say I would never join the Shepherds, I just need time to steel myself, literally and metaphorically." Radko said with a smile, bringing out at least a small smile from Chrom, while Robin's lips only slightly curved upwards.
"You do that friend, you will be welcomed to the Shepherds when the time comes. As for when it comes, be ready by then." Chrom said in an authoritative tone. Not wanting to argue against it, Radko chuckled.
"Hopefully I will since we will meet again will come sooner than I would have liked," Radko responded in a vague tone, completely confusing both the prince and the tactician as Robin voiced her thoughts.
"You know what you just said made no sense at all, right?"
"To you, maybe, but not for me," Radko answered vaguely and left it there. The conversation took hold and silence filled the air. The only thing the three could hear was the banter that was going inside the tavern. It wasn't long until Radko broke the silence.
"So, is that everything you wanted to ask? I hope you won't have to arrest me." Radko said nonchalantly.
"No to both, we got everything we came for, you are free to go," Chrom answered, not waiting for Robin to give him a different suggestion.
"Ok then, I think I will call it a night today. I am not feeling like drinking anymore." Radko said, while aiming for the tavern and was swaying a little bit from the alcohol.
"Wait, what about this?" Chrom asked while holding the piece of ice in his hand for Radko to see.
"You can hold on to it until I retrieve it back when I am strong and willing enough to join the Shepherds." He stated and disappeared inside the tavern and probably to his room. Chrom just stood there, not knowing what to do with the icicle, until he put it back inside his leather pouch.
"I think that went quite well. I wasn't expecting much, but he surely is unique." Chrom contemplated.
"For once, I agree with you, that Radko is one confusing person. Just talking to him is exhausting, not to mention annoying." Robin slightly scowled, while thinking back how many times during their conversation did Radko contradicted himself and immediately shutting that thought down since the number was probably immeasurable. When she turned around to see Chrom, he was holding laughter while covering his mouth.
"What's so funny?" Robin asked.
"He riled you up, didn't he? Well, looks like one enigmatic person doesn't understand another one." Chrom explained before he began to chuckle.
"Are you saying I am weird?" Robin questioned with a raised eyebrow and a tone indicating that Chrom's wrong answer could be his last one, but that didn't stop him from saying "Yes.".
Robin opened her mouth and tried to retort, but nothing came out, just a blank slate. She couldn't find a strategy around the answer Chrom gave her and with great reluctance she yielded.
"Fine, let's just get this night over with." She then started to walk to the tavern with Chrom close behind still contemplating their interaction and before they reached the tavern, Robin asked Chrom one more thing.
"What do you think of him? Since you were talking to him before this whole conversation."
Chrom thought for a moment while stroking his chin and compiled everything he thought he knew about Radko.
"He seems like the type who always thinks outside the box and never inside it, making him oblivious to a lot of things, but that is also his strength. He can easily surprise people with pretty much anything, from his gestures to his way of speaking. If I would describe him as an object; a die would be most appropriate. If he finds he isn't a fighter, then he would be able to wrap anyone around his fingertips making him a great candidate for the court, but then you see him outdrink Sully and Vaike and you start to question who he truly is. If there is an illness, that forces people to create so many personalities he would be a victim of it."
Chrom's assessment was accurate and Robin broadened the subject about his spontaneous attitude.
"That is what irks me, he is like the embodiment of everything a tactician hates! No consistency." Rodin's small outburst prompted Chrom to chuckle again. As they reached the door to the tavern and opened it, they are greeted by a drunken Lissa, who swayed around like a doll on strings.
"Heeeeey guys, where ye been al this tiiiiiime? It got reaaaaally lonely her without youuuuuu." Lissa slurred and was met with a shocked expression from Robin while Chrom bellowed with laughter.
"Lissa, I think you should stop drinking, you had enough of your cider today," Chrom suggested to his sister after his laughter died down, but she instead puffed up her chest and crossed her arms with one holding a mug of cider and trying hard to look as sober as possible.
It was quite obvious, she wasn't.
"I'll have you know that can handle a feeeeew mo-Hey!" Lissa took some time to register her brother got near her and yanked her mug from her hand in one fell swoop and immediately emptied the contents of the mug.
"There is no room for arguments here, Lissa." Chrom chided her sister and she started pouting and muttering, something about her brother being mean.
"I hope I won't get too drunk. If I will act anything close to Lissa, that would be way too embarrassing." Robin thought and sat down at the same table where she had her conversation with Radko. She spotted that her mug of cider was still here, but probably gained in temperature. But when she tried to drink the cider, it had the cool and perfect temperature to drink. Something she learned from Radko.
When she inspected the contents, she was baffled to see an ice cube inside. When she fished it out and inspected it, she could identify this was another of Radko's icicles.
"Well, at least he can be nice as well," Robin remarked and opted for the rest of the night to watch the chaos that will unfold. Why was she seeing Sully trying to stack mugs on top of Vaike's back?
{*}{*}{*}{*}{*}{*}
With the night of celebrating the newest Shepherds behind her and a good night's rest with an annoyingly small hangover in the morning, Robin chose to get some necessary supplies for her work as well as many items she needed for her everyday life since she woke up with just her weapons and nothing else, not even a coin pouch.
With the gold Chrom gave her for her to spend, she headed to the northern district in the lowest level of the city, it is said that the biggest market in Ylisstol was held there and what better place to find everything she needed than the largest marketplace in all of Ylisse. She also brought some company with her to make the shopping less boring.
"Well, those antics in the tavern you described are quite typical of them, sadly I am not someone who would enjoy it much," Sumia said after Robin told her first impressions of the drunken Shepherds and Robin could guess that Sumia wouldn't be surprised at all, it almost sounded like she thought it could have been much worse and Robin was glad she didn't see any of weirder ways the Shepherds have fun.
If stacking mugs on someone's back wasn't weird enough.
"I can see why you wouldn't enjoy it. I can't say I didn't like it, but I feel I could have been doing something more productive honestly, instead of 'knocking myself out' as someone put it." Robin would continue with her banter if Sumia didn't stop her and asked about that certain 'someone'.
"Who? Never heard that phrase before, although it does fit for someone trying to get drunk."
"Oh yeah, we didn't talk about that yet. Chrom was planning today to tell us that we were able to find the culprit behind the strange ice inside the tavern." Robin explained.
"You did? But I didn't see anyone extra coming back with you from the tavern." Sumia asked, bewildered slightly that they didn't apprehend him.
"Thankfully, there was no need to capture him because the situation got resolved there. It went so well, Chrom tried to even make him join the Shepherds, but he declined the offer." Robin said with a sigh and Sumia started to chuckle, probably because that was something Chrom would do.
"So, what was he like?" Sumia asked Robin the obvious question. What she didn't expect from the tactician that she began to slightly scowl when Radko was being mentioned.
"His name is Radko and he is… colorful. I'll just leave it at that." The hint of disdain in Robin's voice was enough for Sumia to drop the subject about this Radko since there were also other things to worry about.
"Since we are going to Regna Ferox next week, we should think about buying furs and heavy cloaks to shield us from the weather there. From what I have heard the only time when it doesn't snow there is during the peak of summer and that is if we get lucky." Sumia then pointed to a stall that wasn't far that sold such things and once they got closer Robin saw the one person she didn't want to see anytime soon.
Radko.
"I am sorry sir, but there is no way this fur costs a whole gold coin. I want to appreciate the quality as much as you do, but aren't you overselling it, sir? I'll give you the gold coin, but I want extra wrist guards lined with furs over there." Robin could hear Radko haggle with efficiency, something that didn't surprise Robin, but to meet him here of all places put Robin in a foul , he was buying fur, meaning he was also on his way towards the north.
After seeing Radko giving his gold coin to the merchant, who then begrudgingly gave his fur and wrist guards, Sumia asked a question with slight amusement "You have been looking at him for some time. Someone you know?".
"Sadly, yes," Robin answered with the same voice filled with disdain and a frown this time when looking at Radko, who spotted them and after putting his newly acquired garments in his bag, headed towards them.
"Great, he is even coming this way, just stay calm Robin, there is no way he can somehow surprise you anymore." Robin mentally prepared herself.
"Hey Robin, fancy seeing you here and you brought a friend with you as well this time. My name is Radko, a pleasure to meet you." Radko introduced himself with his carefree smile, which prompted Sumia to smile back and introduced herself as well.
"Hello Radko, my name is Sumia. Nice to meet you."
"So, what are you doing here? I can guess, but assumptions only lead to dead ends." Radko asked Robin and she replied in the most neutral voice she could currently muster "We are shopping.".
"Giving me the cold shoulder? And here I thought we could become good friends, after our small talk in the tavern. Say, mind if I join you on some shopping as well? I still haven't bought everything I need before I go." Radko asked nicely and it looked like Sumia wouldn't mind him joining, but Robin beat her to it.
"Yes, we do mind. Now if there isn't anything you need from us; would you mind leaving us?" Robin replied, trying her best to distance herself from him, he was bad for her health.
"Hmm, I guessed as much. Looks like warming up to you is going to take some time." He said while walking away, passing by them before whispering only for Robin to hear "See you in Ferox then." and left both Shepherds to their shopping.
Robin however was frozen in place, unable to react to what he said with conviction that insinuated he knew where the Shepherds were going.
"What!? How does he know we are going there!? Was he able to get more information from us than we from him!?" Robin started to slightly panic, but thanks to Sumia she calmed down very quickly. If he was able to get this information so easily, then they greatly underestimated him.
"Are you alright, you looked like you have seen a ghost. What happened?" Sumia consoled Robin and she gave her an answer, but she lied through her teeth.
"I-It's nothing really, there was a slight chill that passed by with him and it got cold quickly. I am sorry if I made you worried." Though the lie wasn't very convincing, Sumia did agree with the cold part.
"Yes, it did, I guess you don't like sudden shifts in temperatures. That only emphasizes my point of buying more warm clothes. Let's go."
"Yes, let's," Robin replied weakly as they reached the same stall, where Radko bought his furs, but she couldn't get Radko out of her mind, this is something that Chrom needed to know about.
They needed to make sure to keep an eye on him.
AN: Didn't expect that, did ya? Well, after some reconsideration, I opted to give all of you a present in the form of a new chapter of A Beaten Path for Christmas.
Happy holidays everyone!