"So, let me get this straight. Not only you didn't need to force him to interrogate him but was also glad he had tea with you, and he was acting like a noble!?" Robin shouted at Maribelle who was currently sitting in the garden close to the church she was assigned to.
Maribelle winced at the volume of Robin's outburst "Must you shout when I am so close to you? Honestly, you could take some lessons from Radko. He has some knowledge of how to act properly and his demeanor was refined yet calm and to some extent even comforting. We even spoke about things I would have never talked about with even some of the Shepherds."
Robin groaned at the absurdity that was Radko, he kept surprising both the tactician and the prince.
Chrom, who was with them to hear the report from Maribelle, after sending her a message to keep an eye on Radko if he came by, was close to bursting with laughter with one of his hands hiding his mouth but got shot down by Maribelle who even took a small jab at the prince of Ylisse.
"And Chrom, you aren't excluded from this. When we recruit him, I will have him to teach most of the Shepherds something when it comes to proper etiquette, because I am at my wits end with all of you."
Chrom slumped a little to Maribelle's sound reasoning, even though it hurt him to admit it. The Shepherds were a rowdy bunch and caused quite the amount of mischief, but when it came to the battlefield, they were the cream of the crop.
Even with Frederick trying to create some form of integrity, it always proved fruitless, but with Robin now into the mix, the Shepherds were slowly turning from a band of freelance fighters to an actual unit and Chrom couldn't be prouder of them.
"Ugh, my outburst aside, what were you able to learn from him? We weren't able to get a whole lot, but he was able to predict our next move with almost no concrete evidence," Robin prompted Maribelle to continue.
"While he was particularly dodgy about his place of birth, I got quite a lot. First, he is going to Regna Ferox, but that is something you already knew about. As to why he said he wants to become stronger and be worthy of joining the Shepherds. I was able to examine him before we had our tea together and he was correct, he had a lean build, and was probably weak too."
"Wait, how were you able to examine him?" Chrom asked Maribelle and she explained with a slightly annoyed tone.
"I was getting to that, he came into the infirmary injured with cracked ribs, but nothing life-threatening. As to how he was injured, he got attacked by a pair of Risen," Robin eyed Chrom and asked a silent question.
"That would explain the frozen part of the forest that somebody was able to find. At least we found a way to deal with the ice with the help of Miriel," He said.
Maribelle continued her report about their ice mage and many things they talked about were mostly about Radko as a person in general. His age, family, likes, and dislikes, amongst other things.
"The last thing was his insecurities of all things, I don't know how our conversation got to that point, but from what he said I was able to deduce something I wasn't expecting from him. When he voiced the question, it was about having masks to impress other people around you, but the way he said it felt like he sometimes doesn't know himself any better than others, like some of his actions surprise even him. Sadly, that is all I was able to get from him on the said matter." Maribelle slumped slightly, but Chrom comforted her with reassuring words and a smile.
"You have done all you could. Thank you, Maribelle, now I wanted to ask you, will you come with us to Ferox?" Maribelle shook her head.
"Sadly, I can't. I have urgent business to attend to in Themis once my assignment ends here. I will wish you good luck in obtaining our alliance with Regna Ferox. Now could you please leave me in peace?" Maribelle asked and both of them obliged and left her while aiming to a campsite where the Shepherds currently resided. Frederick was waiting for them close to the town gate waiting to escort them to the camp.
"Milord, was the interrogation any success?" Asked Frederick while having both his hands behind his back and his stoic face betraying no particular emotion. Chrom shook his head.
"Sadly, the only thing we were able to find anything noteworthy was that Radko did freeze that part of the forest and has a self-recognition problem. Let's move out immediately, we have done everything we needed in this town," He said and Frederick started to briskly walk to the camp with Robin and Chrom behind. It didn't take long to reach the camp, and reaching the next town shouldn't be a problem.
Emmeryn told them that there were several places they needed to visit to make sure the villages and towns were at least moderately prepared for any Risen attacks and be equipped with any form of self-defense when traversing through Ylisse.
Although it increased the amount of marching they needed to conduct, all of the Shepherds agreed to the new plan and Robin started to optimize their route to make sure no time was wasted.
When they reached the group, everyone was ready to go. Chrom stopped to check if everyone was present and then yelled "Shepherds, move out!" before they started to march ahead towards their next destination.
Robin made a quick headcount just in case Chrom missed someone, but it looked like they didn't leave anyone behind. She was currently marching with Miriel, a Shepherd who Robin didn't know all too well.
She was a mage with a long narrow pointy hat, that covered her straight red hair, with spectacles, classic mage robes, and a book in hand. She was the researcher of the Shepherds and with her nose deep in her book, there wasn't any way for Robin to break the silence between them without it being awkward.
"How can I be of assistance, tactician? Your field of vision was always at some point looming over me, whenever I broke eye contact with my research parchment." Miriel astutely pointed out Robin's awkwardness making the situation even worse, but at least now she could hopefully have a meaningful conversation.
"I am sorry Miriel, I was just hoping we could get to know each other since we haven't really talked yet," Robin said to Miriel who was still eyeing Robin and getting a little too close for comfort. To Robin, it felt like she didn't know what personal space meant.
"Ah, 'get to know each other'? As in an exchange of ideas, knowledge, or past events to strengthen bonds between two individuals? Hmm, I could use this to solidify the probability of a relationship forming from a single conversation. Alright then, what knowledge do you want to exchange?" Miriel asked and opened her book with a quill.
It took a moment for Robin to comprehend what Miriel said, but she was able to decipher Miriel's cryptic way of saying 'sure'. She also admired Miriel to be able to write anything legible while moving around.
"How about if there is anything else you do besides research," Robin asked.
"An adequate question, I don't have any other stimuli that would give me the satisfaction of accomplishment or fulfillment. Research in magic theory and human autonomy is something I am fully committed to as it was something I gained from my mother, the constant drive to find new answers to problems someone wouldn't normally ask." Miriel replied as she scribbled down something inside her parchment, but it wasn't hard to understand what she said. Her answers are wordy, but still understandable to Robin.
"Now since this is supposed to be an equivalent exchange, I shall repeat the same question you asked me. What do you do besides your new employment as our tactician?" Miriel asked while still writing and not making eye contact with Robin and she was taken back by the question. When she pondered about anything that would be close to being a hobby of hers, she was met with the same fog that clouded her past from her and everything she knew about herself.
Since it took her time to answer, Miriel turned to Robin to make sure she was still with her, but Robin had a hundred-yard stare while walking, making her look like she just woke up from a deep slumber and was mesmerized by the nature around her.
"Ah, maybe a change of topic is needed, I can see my question resurfaces your troubles about your loss of memory," Miriel said in a tone that didn't reflect the comforting words she said, she had a constant monotone voice of a researcher, making Robin snap back into reality.
"It's alright Miriel. I just wasn't expecting that I would hit a roadblock so early in our small talk. I probably enjoy reading a good book on strategy, history, or magic theory. I haven't tried cooking yet, so maybe that could be something I enjoy as well, but I don't think I have anything else right now." Robin answered, although her voice became slightly weak at the end.
However, she was determined that she will find something that she enjoys doing, and she will start today by checking if cooking was anything up her alley, by being on cooking duty today.
"Anyway, I also wanted to ask what you were able to find out about the ice Chrom brought you," Robin asked Miriel after her thoughts that were filled with determination.
"Yes, that is something I was able to divulge further before our timely departure. There weren't many records located in the royal library that depicted much about the anomaly that is ice magic. Most of them read that ice magic was considered extinct, because throughout the history of all three nations Ylisse, Plegia, and Regna Ferox there were only two recorded mage bloodlines that were able to perform said phenomenon, therefore the only beings able to have any concrete knowledge about ice magic are only those two families." Miriel explained, but for Robin, that wasn't enough. It would be paramount if at least they know the names of the bloodlines because research would come much more easily, so Robin asked another question.
"Do we know the names of these bloodlines?"
"This information is not for the public ears, nor for those who are just simply curious. It can only be accessed to those who have permission to the restricted archives where information about all rare finds in magic theory, history, or any form of combat knowledge is kept there. Fortunately, all Shepherds have immediate access to said archives and what I was able to find there is most intriguing. However I wasn't able to find a single name for any of the bloodlines, to which it seemed like both families wanted to be forgotten, but we don't know as to why. What I was able to find was more in line with how to deal with said ice effectively and the ability to cast ice magic without the need for an affinity. The efficiency in casting ice magic without an affinity however is something to be desired." Miriel replied to which Robin was intrigued and prompted Miriel to continue because it could have new applications on strategies and how they could deal with Radko if he becomes hostile, since they have no idea what was the end goal for him, and he didn't strike the tactician as someone who wouldn't be able to plan.
During Robin's conversation with Miriel, Chrom was at the front of the group, leading them towards their next destination with Lissa next to her and Frederick behind them with a convoy for their equipment, supplies, tents, and other things for camping and marching. Lissa broke the silence between them by asking a question about their next possible Shepherd.
"So Chrom, what were you able to learn from Maribelle? I didn't find a chance to talk with Radko back at the tavern, because he called it a night before I had a chance to meet him properly. So, what is he like?" Lissa asked curiously. She finally took advice from both Frederick and Chrom to get rid of the corset and there were much fewer complaints coming from her on how her feet hurt, but now that space where she would complain was being filled with questions that Chrom was willing enough to answer for her if it was something noteworthy.
"Not much honestly. We were only able to confirm that he is in fact on his way towards Ferox, but who knows where and when we will find him. What surprised me and Robin however was something we didn't expect from him at all." He eyed Lissa with a small smirk.
"Did you know that Maribelle of all people was impressed with Radko's mannerisms? She said that he puts some of the Ylissean nobility to shame. She even jabbed at my expense too." Chrom remarked but wasn't mad about the comment Maribelle made. He knew that he sometimes didn't act the way he should in relevance to his position.
"What!? You are telling me a stranger who has a gut for alcohol as large as Sully and Vaike, was able to hold a conversation with Maribelle, without her berating him about how to act properly!?" Lissa shouted her question at Chrom, having a similar reaction to Robin when they found out, which put a smile on Chrom's face. A small chuckle escaped from his lips and nodded to Lissa as his response.
"Wow, now I really want to meet him properly." Lissa's eyes were almost sparkling with anticipation.
Chrom stayed silent, not wanting to sour Lissa's mood. When he looked at the position of the sun it was starting to set, and their vision was worsening by the second and they went for a few minutes longer to find a suitable place to set up their encampment.
Thinking that they did enough walking for today he turned to Frederick and said "Frederick, signal the Shepherds to stop here and make camp, assign someone for cooking duty, preferably Stahl, and send a few people to gather firewood and clear the campsite.".
The stalwart knight nodded while saying "It shall be done, milord.", stopped the cart and did as he was told. He was quick enough to miss hearing Chrom's gratitude.
The royal siblings just sighed at their retainer. His efficiency in doing tasks sometimes made the siblings feel bad, because of how much they used him, but whenever it was brought up, the knight always said it his duty and was glad to serve the royals, completely dismissing their concerns.
The camp was prepared in less than an hour, with many tents situated without any semblance of order and a large one being the command tent right at the center of it.
Seeing the command tent up, Chrom made his way towards it and was met with a simple room with one large table with a few chairs, a map sprawled out on the said table, and many parchments indicating what is their next destination. Frederick was waiting in one of the corners of the tent for Chrom with a few papers in hand.
"Milord, there are several new paths for you to revise, all given by Robin, and are waiting for your approval."
"Another? I thought that we already had planned out our route." Chrom asked, bewildered that there could have been even more changes to their current marching path.
"Robin had found more efficient routes. We got a new report from the capital that many villages we were meant to visit were already alerted of the crisis that is the Risen. We can now aim for the Feroxi border immediately." Frederick explained.
Chrom, who nodded to this new information, began checking the new paths they could take to reach Regna Ferox as fast as possible, with the fastest one being only ten days long.
"Alright then, I say we take this one. We don't want to make Emm wait long for the new alliance." He said in a curt tone, indicating he wanted at least some time for himself in this tent and Frederick picked up on the tone and after saying "Very well milord, I will alert Robin on your choice. By your leave.", to which Chrom dismissed him, leaving Chrom to his thoughts.
During that time, Robin was in the mess tent, preparing dinner for the Shepherds with help from Stahl. She was mesmerized by the sheer number of things she had to look out for when cooking pretty much anything. It was like a completely different battlefield for her, and to her great reluctance, had to admit she wasn't the best at it.
"By the gods, why is it sizzling so much!?" Robin yelled at a pot. Stahl was trying his best to make sure the chaos that was caused by Robin was controlled to some degree.
"Don't worry, this is normal. Just stir it so it won't burn at the bottom, you just have to bear the hot fat that sometimes spurts out from it." Stahl coached Robin with a reassuring expression on his face.
"But what am I supposed to do when-Ow!" Robin yelped and pulled her hand away from the pot when, as was told by Stahl, some of the fat touched Robin's skin, wincing in pain while dropping the wooden spoon. Stahl was slightly amused by Robin's act but quickly caught the wooden spoon so it wouldn't drop inside the pot.
"Maybe you should just let me finish it," Stahl said to Robin, the contests of the pot still sizzling. He didn't want to discourage Robin from finding new hobbies, but he thought that Robin had to agree with him that cooking probably wasn't one of them.
"Yeah, I would probably cook something uneatable. I am sorry I bothered you." Robin said, walking away with slumped shoulders and expression. Stahl, ever being the optimist, wanted to lighten up her mood.
"Hey, it's ok. Not everyone has the knack for cooking, but you have other qualities that make you, well you. I am pretty sure you will find a hobby eventually." Stahl reassured Robin and it did the job well enough, that Robin quietly said "Thanks.".
She left the mess tent on her own and started to do something to get her mind off of her now fruitless attempt of finding a new hobby. Maybe sticking to the role she was currently assigned to would be better for now.
{*}{*}{*}{*}{*}{*}
After the Shepherds discussed their next move, they continuously marched through Ylisse towards the Regna Ferox border. After several visits to a few towns and villages to stock up or rest, battling their way through the Risen that occasionally appeared either in small groups or in one bigger hoard that could have been almost two dozens large, they were able to reach the border in less than two weeks.
The difference in the atmosphere was noticeable when they got closer to the said border. The air felt chiller and snow was starting to appear close to the road, while grass and trees had a small layer of visible frost. The temperature difference wasn't lost on the Shepherds either, and most of them had opted to wear heavy clothing to shield themselves from the cold.
"How are you not freezing your arse off right now!?" Bellowed Sully, while riding her steed close to a shirtless Vaike who still refused to wear anything else except his collar that had chains locked around it.
"Hah, you all are weak. This is just your everyday afternoon in Ferox. My blood keeps me warmed up enough." Vaike boasted, but it was quite visible that the warrior was slightly shivering under all that bravado, which prompted Robin to ignore him completely and threw a cloak lined with fur over him.
"Sully is right, Vaike, you will suffer from hypothermia if you keep this up. I will not count on you being out of commission just because you refused to wear something over your skin. Losing your ax in the middle of a fight was enough for me." Robin said with an annoyed tone while being under more than one layer of heavy clothing. She didn't like the cold at all.
"Hey, that was one time, ok!?" Vaike tried to remedy his situation, but Robin was unrelenting, giving the warrior a cold stare.
"It better be the only time," Grumbled the tactician.
During their banter, Chrom was once more leading the group towards their destination, with Frederick and Lissa close in tow. The caravan behind them was being tugged by Frederick's horse and Virion was in charge of it. Currently, there was no snowstorm or heavy snowfall, making marching much easier, but that didn't mean that protests weren't voiced.
"Why is it so cold here, we aren't even in Ferox yet!" Shouted Lissa through a few layers of warm clothing. She looked like a big ball of leather and cloth, similar to Robin. How were they still cold despite those layers was a mystery to Chrom.
"Don't worry, we will reach the border soon. According to Frederick, we should reach it in less than a few minutes." Chrom reassured her sister who still was mumbling about being cold.
"That reminds me. Frederick, has Sumia come from her scouting yet?" Chrom asked their retainer as he turned his head to face him, to which he responded "She should arrive at any moment now milord since we have favorable weather.".
As if on cue, when Chrom looked into the sky to see if he could find their pegasus knight, he spotted her, flying with ease on her trusted steed. They found it on the road of all places and Sumia was able to tame it almost immediately which was no small feat.
After getting closer to the group and gracefully landing with her pegasus, in contrast to Sumia's usual clumsiness, she began her report. At the same time, they were able to see the border on the horizon.
"Captain, the Feroxi have fortified the border to an unusually high degree. They are wary of something and it looks like they are ready to attack at any moment."
That surprised Chrom, the Ylisseans always tried to be friendly with their neighbors, so hearing from Sumia that they are ready for combat put Chrom under slight unease.
"Do not mistake their wariness for hostility, there is probably a good reason for it. This just calls for a simple amount of diplomacy." Frederick said. The words were meant to be reassuring, but diplomacy wasn't something Chrom was best at.
"I don't think I have a decent way with words, but I will try my best, I guess," Chrom said with a sigh.
Once they reached the Longfort that spanned over the entire border between Ylisse and Regna Ferox, Chrom stopped and turned around to see how the Shepherds were holding up. Most of them were ready to continue their endeavor to reach the khans as soon as possible.
"Be at your best behavior, Shepherds. All your actions right now will reflect on Ylisse. Robin could come here for a minute." Chrom said with his head locked towards Robin and she came as soon as she was called for.
"Is everything alright?" She asked, slightly bewildered that Chrom called for her.
"It depends. I will go to negotiate our safe passage, but Sumia reported that the Feroxi looked like they were on the edge and ready to fight. We don't know what's going on, but if anything goes awry, we will need some sort of a battle plan just in case." The serious tone wasn't lost on Robin and she immediately started to check their surroundings, but the wall is well fortified, and although the Shepherds are no slouches when it came to combat, sieging this fort isn't something they would be able to pull off easily.
"Alright then, I am happy to see you are finally starting to understand that charging into the thick of things isn't always the brightest idea," Robin said with a small smirk to deflate the situation while making a small jab at the prince's expense, but he didn't back down.
"Need I remind you of your first strategy as our tactician?" He returned the smirk and all he got from Robin was a small huff, but quickly started to form strategies to overcome anything that might be thrown their way with many murmurs, from possible frontline candidates to how many pages she had in her and Miriel's tome. Miriel did have a personal tome, just like Robin, but fighting with an expendable tome was more mana efficient, making them ideal in prolonged fights.
Chrom, who left Robin to form their possibly unnecessary strategy, was on his way to the gate, blocking them from continuing their journey to meet the khans. It didn't take long for Chrom to see a figure on top of the gate, looming over him with heavy armor and a lance in their possession. Upon closer inspection, he noticed that the heavy-armored soldier was a woman with short tomboyish blond hair.
"Halt! Who goes there!?" She bellowed at Chrom and hoping his voice was loud enough for her to hear he responded "In the name of House Ylisse, I seek an audience with the khans!".
"Don't take another step there, my bold lad. I have lancers at the ready!" She shouted back, surprising Chrom with the amount of hostility her voice carried. Chrom also observed that his Shepherds were close behind him and were probably noticed by the gatekeeper as well.
"Wait! We are not your enemy! We were sent here by the Exalt herself to negotiate with the khans!" Hoping that his plea will reach her sadly fell on deaf ears as she coincidentally explained why the Feroxi were so on edge.
"My only interest is to keep you out of Regna Ferox, brigand! Do you think you are the first 'Ylisseans' who tried to cross our border? I think I lost count after five different groups who tried it." She scoffed, but Chrom won't back down, he didn't want to fight their possible future allies.
"Then let the blood of the Exalt that runs through my veins and the brand I bear be as proof of my intentions!" His voice sounded much more desperate than he wanted to, but what other ways he could prove himself?
"Hah, then I am the queen of Valm! You do know impersonating as royalty is a capital offense, yes?" She asked, bemused, and probably expecting Chrom to drop the act of being the prince of Ylisse.
Chrom won't back down and if he had to prove his lineage by other means then he would do so. He remembered in his lessons about Regna Ferox and their culture intrigued him, and he will use that to their advantage.
"Then I challenge the gatekeeper of this fort to a duel to prove my lineage!" He shouted for the Feroxi and his Shepherds too. Many of them stared at Chrom while others facepalmed and one, in particular, started to cheer for him, with Robin being the first to voice her protest.
"Chrom, what did I just told you about throwing yourself into danger!?" Robin almost yelled at the prince who didn't turn around to address his tactician and Robin then told Frederick and Lissa with a large amount of exasperation to make sure he didn't kill himself.
"Hm, you are either very brave or very stupid. Alright then, I will meet you at the gate at a moment's notice. We will see if you have what it takes to pass." She said and left her post on the top of the gate. With Frederick and Lissa now next to Chrom, they waited for the iron lady to show herself, but before she did so, Frederick questioned Chrom about his way of obtaining passage through the border.
"Is this wise, milord? You are putting yourself in danger."
"If I didn't then this would break out into a fight and if this is the best way to ensure safety to both us and the Feroxi then I will take it." Chrom's voice was resolute and filled with determination while having his left hand resting on the pommel of Falchion.
"I don't know if danger comes to you or you seek out the danger anymore, might as well be both. Just make this quick so we can finally get somewhere warmer." Lissa said, not all too worried about her brother. She had seen him fight and she was confident he would win and if he got hurt in any way, she would be there to heal his wounds.
The iron maiden appeared before them when the gate opened with a set of two guards following her. She held herself with pride, with a monstrous shield that would tower over someone like Lissa and a spear attached to it.
Chrom already knew he would fight with a disadvantage. Not only the armor will be hard to get through but having a spear on top of that will make things even more difficult. However, as the old saying goes; the bigger they are, the harder they fall.
They eyed each other for an unknown amount of time, each sizing their opponent and as if on cue both of them readied their weapons for the imminent fight.
Chrom unsheathed his sword from its scabbard, giving it a small twirl, and prepared his stance while the woman unfastened her spear from her shield and grabbed it in her right hand while her shield was in her left. Both Frederick, Lissa, and the two guards back off to give both combatants enough space to maneuver.
"You have challenged Raimy, acting general and leader guard of the border between Ylisse and Regna Ferox, the Longfort. What is the name of my provoker that has sealed his fate?" Asked Raimy, while sticking the butt of her spear to the ground. Her voice was leveled, and no anger or resentment could have been heard in her small speech and introduction.
"Chrom of House Ylisse, bearer of the brand of the Exalt, a prince of the nation and second in line to the Ylissian throne," Chrom replied, also with a leveled tone.
"We will see if your words hold or are hollow like all the imposters. Actions speak louder than words or names and now, we fight!" And once Raimy's declaration ended she charged at Chrom with a speed that a regular armored knight could dream of.
Chrom's grip on Falchion tightened and waited for Raimy to reach him and when she did, her thrust was something Chrom did not expect. It was fast and he dodged to the side, with another one followed.
Her relentless onslaught left little room for a counterattack, whenever Chrom wanted to close the gap between him and Raimy, she didn't let him. She played her fight well, spears had a longer range than swords, allowing the spear wielder to have almost complete control over the pace and place of combat, and even if Chrom would find an opening, they were most of the time blocked by Raimy's shield or armor.
With gritted teeth, he was able to dodge most of the thrusts, but that didn't mean he was left unscathed. Cuts were littered all over his body, some bigger than others. Raimy, who still hadn't relented from her strikes, was starting to mock the prince.
"Is that all you can do, just running away? I was expecting more of a challenge when you think of yourself as the prince of Ylisse." She said, while still being able to keep Chrom at bay with her attacks, but not for long.
When he saw a small opening in one of her slopier thrusts, he took it, but it was bait for the prince to take and his strike was yet again shielded and his sword bounced off, giving Raimy the perfect opportunity to finish the fight.
With the last mighty thrust, aiming at the prince's heart, she tried to end the fight there, but Chrom regained his bearings quickly and was able to dodge at the last possible second, giving himself a chance yet another counter. To everyone's surprise, however, Chrom didn't opt to use his blade.
"If can't get past her wall, then I will topple it!"
Blunt objects were always effective against any heavily armored opponents, as they used the heavy metal that they were equipped with against them, but the flat of the Falchion wouldn't be enough, so instead Chrom opted for a different object.
With Raimy still trying to bring her shaft of the spear back to her, Chrom stepped forward and to the astonishment of the onlookers charged straight at Raimy with his left shoulder facing the armored knight.
With gained momentum and a roar, he rammed into Raimy. The sound of metal against metal rang through the fort as the added moment and sometimes questionable strength of Chrom toppled Raimy backward.
Raimy couldn't stabilize herself, even when she flailed her arms around to gain her stability back. She fell on her back with all of her armor on the ground, looking like a turtle who was struggling to get its feet on the ground.
Although the impact didn't leave Chrom unscathed, he still got close enough to Raimy and pointed his sword at the woman's neck, indicating her defeat. Several moments have passed for everyone to accept the outcome of the fight and the Shepherds burst into cheers, while some were laughing at Chrom's way of defeating his opponent.
"So, your claims were true…" Said Raimy in a discouraged tone after her defeat. Chrom, who lowered his tip of the blade from Raimy's throat, offered his hand to his opponent.
"As I said, we are looking for a safe passage to meet the khans," Chrom said while Raimy took Chrom's arm and hoisted herself up on her feet, brushing away some snow from her armor.
"My sincerest apologies, prince Chrom. I am sorry I mistook you for a brigand imposter, I can already see you have many qualities that your predecessor lacked. As for my apology, I will personally escort you to meet the east khan." Raimy said with her head bowed down.
"Thank you and I think we can put this misunderstanding behind us." Chrom, who was getting healed by Lissa, accepted Raimy's apology. During that time the Shepherds closed the distance to their leader while chatting about Chrom's fight.
"You two!" Raimy yelled at the two guards she came with "Escort them inside the fort, bring food and anything to warm them up." All people heard an appropriate "Yes, ma'am!" from the guards, and Raimy then turned back to the Shepherds and explained herself.
"We will leave tomorrow morning, to meet the east khan, while I will send a message of our imminent arrival. We will prepare caravans to escort you there in minimal time." She then left the Shepherds and went back to her post on the giant fort that was the Longfort.
"Wow, her entire demeanor changed," Lissa remarked as they made their way inside the fort.
"In Ferox, actions and strength speak louder than words, as Raimy said. I didn't account for the Feroxi to value diplomacy so lowly. I should have known better." Frederick berated himself for his slight blunder.
Robin, who got closer to the trio with her arms crossed, looked at Chrom with an intensifying glare, who turned around because he felt like someone was drilling a hole in his head. Realizing it was Robin, he sheepishly rubbed the back of his head, thinking of an excuse for his stunt.
"Hey, uh… Robin, everything alright?" Chrom asked her, trying to feign ignorance.
Robin continued to stare for a few more seconds, before releasing a sigh of exasperation for the second time today, realizing there was no point in berating him and left it there with only a few words of "What's the point of a tactician if nobody listens to her…".
Everyone who heard her started to chuckle or laugh in a few cases before the Shepherds vanished into the gate of the Longfort, readying themselves for their incoming meeting with the khan.
{*}{*}{*}{*}{*}{*}
The halls of the castle were almost bare in comparison to the grandiose halls of Ylisstol. The only other place Robin could compare this place to would be a fortress instead. Not a lot of sunlight was able to penetrate inside the halls, the lack of windows being one reason, and the outside weather wasn't helping it either.
Torches were lit to illuminate the place that was built from grey and green stone, a large blue carpet adorned the ground indicating the way towards the hypothetical throne room of the khan.
Raimy was leading Lissa, Chrom, Frederick, and Robin towards it with other Shepherds being led inside their temporary quarters of the fortress. No words were spoken during their tread to meet the khan.
Once they were inside the throne room, it wasn't any different from the halls before it. A large blue carpet leading to the throne, which was made from dark brown wood, adorned with animal furs of different kinds, while banners were hanging on the walls. It depicted two wolf heads one facing the left while the other was upside down facing the opposite direction with a giant line separating the two.
"Please wait here, prince Chrom, while I will summon the khan," Raimy said while bowing down and leaving somewhere to fetch the khan for them, as to where the khan was, that was something none of them knew for certain.
"Where do you think the khan is right now?" Robin asked no one in particular, looking around to absorb her surroundings even if there wasn't much for her to see.
"Out training, I'd wager. In Regna Ferox, the khans and their people prefer combat over politics. Or rather, battle IS their politics." Chrom was the first one to explain to Robin, which she perked up. After reading about the Feroxi traditions, she now understood why Chrom challenged Raimy back at the border.
"So that's why you jumped at the idea of dueling Raimy. You just needed to prove you are stronger than her." Robin voiced her thoughts and Chrom nodded to that.
It didn't stop Robin from commenting on it further, "Still doesn't amend the fact that you, once again, acted before you thought." Chrom just sheepishly rubbed the back of his head and awkwardly laughed.
"Hey, at least we didn't have to fight them." He tried to amend his situation.
"By becoming a battering ram?" Lissa quipped, earning a snicker from the said princess and a chuckle from Robin.
"Indeed, he did! Have to say, you might be the first person to hurl himself against Raimy like that!" Bellowed a voice from one of the back entrances to the throne room.
Everyone turned to face the figure and there quite a few surprised faces in the group of four, mainly Lissa and Robin. Chrom remained composed, but it took quite the amount of effort and Frederick was unfazed by the new development.
The khan of Ferox was a woman in red and silver armor, with blond hair done in a ruffled ponytail, tan skin, and a greatsword in one hand, leaning the edge of the blade on her shoulder. She made her way towards the throne room with visible sweat on her and with her weapon in her hand she was intimidating, to say the least.
"Oh, you are one the-!? Er, that is to say… the khan, I presume?" Chrom forced a question out of him through his trance, although it was more equivalent to a jumbled mess coming from a drunken sailor instead of a prince.
"Yes, the east khan of Ferox. My name is Flavia, a pleasure to meet you, Prince Chrom, although I am sorry if our welcoming party at the border wasn't accommodating enough. You are welcome in Regna Ferox, of course." The khan, now named Flavia, introduced herself.
"Thank you, but I am confident we can put this misunderstanding behind us. Is it true that bandits posing as Ylisseans were trying to invade your nation?" Chrom asked, trying to get some amount of clarification as to why the Feroxi were so wary back at the border.
"Sadly yes, those Plegian dogs don't know went to quit. We were able to confirm their origins thanks to their leaders bearing evidence of them being from Plegia. They are probably trying to stir bad blood between us and you, princeling." Said Flavia, with scorn against the Plegians.
"Damn them!" Chrom's voice was filled with scorn as well but wasn't quick enough to hold his tongue. He was probably being eyed by Frederick right now because of his slip-up.
"I… forgive me, your Grace. That was indelicately put…" Chrom trailed off, being slightly ashamed, but Flavia just laughed it off.
"Hah! Damn them and damn delicacy. We in Ferox don't like to beat around the bush."
Being happy that Chrom's tactless attitude won't be in his way, he took that opportunity "Then you should have a word with Raimy if ramming into her is the only way to make her listen.".
"Ha hah! Now that is the Feroxi way. Don't worry yourself about that prince, even I sometimes have problems with her, and thanks for finding a way to get her to listen." Flavia said laughing all the while, but her attitude quickly grew more serious.
"But back to business, I know why you have come, prince Chrom, but I sadly cannot offer any Feroxi troops to Yliss, to help you in your endeavor against these Risen."
"What!? Why not!?" Lissa cried, not wanting to go back to Ylisse empty-handed.
"I lack authority." Flavia simply stated while shrugging.
"Wait a minute, aren't you the khan of Ferox? There isn't anyone above you, is there?" Robin asked, getting a little desperate to gain their alliance.
"I'm not the only khan in the rule. I am the east khan while the west has that oaf Basilio as khan. Every four years the Tournament of Power is held in the center Ferox, where the khans' foreign representatives plus a champion duke it out for total sovereignty of Regna Ferox. The leading khan has the final say in all things that includes Regna Ferox as a whole and since he won the last one, I have no power when it comes to forging new alliances." Flavia explained and Robin immediately perked up at her wording and immediately asked the following question.
"When is this next big tournament held?" Chrom gazed at Robin as to why she would speak out like this, but after registering what Flavia said, Chrom was quite certain where Robin was aiming with her question.
"Oh, eager to join in the fun, huh," Flavia said with a smirk.
"If we, the Shepherds, won the tournament as your representatives, then would you give us your alliance in exchange?" Robin offered to Flavia and she burst into laughter, but the good-hearted kind.
"Hah, I like you already. Chrom, where did you find this girl? She would fit here no problem!" She bellowed, but it then formed into a smirk yet again "But there is a slight problem with your logic, lass. While I do have open slots for you lot, I already have a champion.".
"You do?" Chrom asked, slightly discouraged that there is a chance that they wouldn't be able to participate.
"Don't worry, normally I would have liked to have my representatives already, but I couldn't find any that my champion would approve of. He said I should wait for better fighters to come and I got the prince of a neighboring nation eager to participate and if he won't be satisfied with you then he might as well fight the tournament alone." Flavia reassured.
"Could we meet him at least?" Robin asked, curious who the champion was.
"Of course, I was training with him right before our meeting." Flavia said as she turned around and yelled out to Raimy "Hey, Raimy! Bring the kid here!".
Raimy was nowhere to be found to the bafflement of others in the room, but surprisingly they could hear the clanking of armor coming from the entrance Flavia came from. Two figures came from said entrance, one of which was Raimy.
The other was someone none of the four expected to be, grumbling his entire way towards the throne room until he spotted the Shepherds, a surprised look adorned his face. He only had tight blue pants and a vest that barely covered his chest, showing his muscles.
Although Maribelle mentioned that Radko was lean, he was able to gain a little amount of volume. He was holding a sword and stood proud and high, quite the contrast when they met him in Ylisstol.
Radko's surprised expression then morphed into a smile and greeted them.
"Well, nice to see you finally made it here, you certainly took your time." Radko sassed, earning a snicker from Flavia.
"I see you already know each other," Flavia remarked, while the Shepherds were stunned to see Radko here of all places.
"Radko? Is that you?" Chrom asked, still not believing that this was the ice mage they met back at the tavern two months ago.
"The one and only, I heard from Flavia what happened at the border." Radko said and he gave Chrom a thumbs up "Nice one.".
Lissa snickered from Chrom being mentioned as a battering ram one more time and Chrom sheepishly rubbed the back of his head again. Robin however wasn't in the mood for laughing, quite the opposite.
"What are you doing here?" She asked forcefully, not a single hint of joy from seeing an old face, especially his.
Radko tensed and quickly became serious since Robin meant business.
"I feel like it should be obvious," Radko answered while sheathing his sword and crossing his arms.
"You knew we would come here, didn't you?" Robin questioned, surprising the rest with her sudden question, the atmosphere getting tenser by the second.
"Yes, I did," Radko answered simply, surprising all four of them how straightforward he was.
"How did you get that information?" Frederick pressed, not liking that any information leaked out that reached Radko.
"I think that isn't important right now." Flavia interrupted the tense conversation, bringing everyone's attention to her, whether they liked it or not.
"If you have a score to settle then do it in my arena and I think I have earned the right to see you finally fight, isn't that right Radko?" She eyed Radko smugly, who shivered and looked away but relented.
"I guess you do. But do we really-" He was interrupted by Flavia before he could protest.
"Then it's settled, meet us in my arena in an hour, bring anyone who wants a piece of Radko. Let's see if he was right about you being good fighters if that fight with Raimy at the border wasn't good enough proof." Flavia announced as she grabbed Radko by the shoulder and dragged him away from the throne room, readying Radko for his unwanted fights.
The four didn't know how to react to the declaration Flavia made, but as much as they wanted to protest like Radko, they thought they would be met with similar results.
{*}{*}{*}{*}{*}{*}
The arena they currently were in was spacious, but not many souls were present except for the Shepherds, Flavia, and some of the high-ranked Feroxi. The Shepherds that wanted to fight Radko were Chrom, Sully, Vaike, and unsurprisingly Robin who wanted to beat answers out of him, while the rest and Flavia were perched high to have a clear view of the arena.
"Now I hope you lot are ready because right now I want to see swords clashing and magic exploding! I don't care how you will fight, I just want to see some action!" Her voice almost echoed in the arena from how loud it was, and a few Shepherds winced at the sheer volume.
"Hm, this might be more fun than I anticipated," Sully remarked while leaning on her lance. Flavia stated that horses were prohibited in the tournament, so Sully had to fight on the ground alongside her companions.
"We got a score to settle with the guy, he will get a piece of me whether he likes it or not," Vaike answered with his ax on his shoulder, ready to smash the ever-living hell out of the champion.
"Stay on your guard though. As much as I am eager to beat some answers out of him, we don't know how he fights. The only thing we are sure of is that he uses ice magic and knows a little amount of swordplay. Expect the unexpected." Robin instructed all three of them and she got nods from them, allowing a small smile to lit up on her face.
"Just remember that this is a friendly fight. We do not need any serious injuries." Chrom reminded them, although he wasn't sure if they will follow his advice.
Flavia then called out for Radko to come to the arena and he appeared on the other side of the building, making his way towards the grounds. He wore his blue coat this time with his sheathe for his tome and sword.
"So, how do you want to do this?" He asked once he got close enough for the four Shepherds to hear him. He wasn't quite excited at the fact that he was being forced to fight the Shepherds against his will.
"We fight, that's how! We owe you a beating for bringing us shame inside our tavern!" Bellowed Vaike and he was ready to charge him right then and there if it wasn't for Chrom stopping him from doing so with his hand stretched out, blocking Vaike.
"I would rather not fight at all, but I guess Flavia beat us to it. She said that we can fight however we want and since we outnumber you if we would fight you all at once, I think it would be fair if you would choose yourself." Chrom said, prompting Radko to think how they shall fight. He put his hand on his chin and struck a thinking pose and after a few seconds of consideration, he yelled out to Flavia.
"Hey Flavia, make the fights two on one! I think it will be interesting that way!"
Flavia just burst into yet another laughter while saying "I knew I had a good eye; you were just a rough diamond ready to be polished! Show them what you can do! Now fight!".
Chrom and Robin both looked quite uneasy by Radko's declaration, but Sully and Vaike were thrilled to double down on the beat down they could dish out.
"I have to say you have guts and I respect that. Alright then, Sully, let's do this!" Shouted Vaike while charging straight ahead towards Radko.
"You bet! Save some for me!" Sully shouted back while also charging at the same target. Radko just stood there, waiting for the charging Shepherds to get close.
"Wait, he was letting them get close and he wasn't unsheathing his blade nor his tome!?" This irked Robin in so many ways that she didn't know what to expect, they never saw him fight and Robin was scared of what could happen next.
She then spotted Radko moving his hand discreetly over his tome and sparks started to form around his arms, but just as they quickly appeared, they vanished immediately.
The duo was pretty much on top of him and he still didn't move from his spot. There was no way for him to have a powerful spell for a novice like him, but something was telling Robin this will not end well for Sully and Vaike.
"Wait! Don't!" Robin shouted, but it was too late. Before their weapons could connect with Radko, a snowstorm appeared out of nowhere, engulfing the three of them, blocking everyone from seeing the trio.
"Vaike! Sully!" Screamed Chrom with some of the Shepherds with him as well. After a few desperate moments, the snowstorm dissipated revealing all of them, but Sully and Vaike were both frozen like statues in the middle of their attacks.
Radko unsheathed his blade and Chrom had more time to appreciate the blade since he put it away when they met in the throne room. The sword looked regal, but the most distinctive part was the noticeable blue tinge to the blade. The admiration was soon replaced with dread as he saw Radko lowering his sword at Sully and Vaike, only to hit the ice where their heads were with his pommel, creating holes for them to probably breathe.
"Flavia! Get these two idiots into the infirmary immediately! We need them alive!" Radko shouted to Flavia with a surprising amount of authority, who was at ready. She whistled for three Feroxi to come and pick up the ice statues of their friends and left the arena immediately.
"What did you do!?" Chrom growled, not liking how Radko dealt with his companions as he unsheathed Falchion and pointed it at Radko who wasn't fazed by his outburst and replied with a cold demeanor, his carefree attitude was gone.
"They will be fine, don't worry. They weren't the only ones who ended up like that who tried to fight me." He opened his tome and after a few seconds, three blunt icicles appeared out of thin air and they hovered over Radko. He looked at both Chrom and Robin with his cold blue eyes that stared at them started to shine with anticipation.
He charged at the prince and the tactician with a surprising amount of speed and Chrom complied by charging as well, while Robin stayed in the back, equipped with her personal tome. She waited for her moment only to realize that the icicles Radko made were aiming at her, not Chrom.
"I take it back; he isn't a novice mage anymore!" She thought as she dodged the blunt icicles that were trying to knock her out. While the movement of the icicles was primitive, they still were able to occupy her from focusing on the fight between Chrom and Radko, who were duking it out in a sword fight.
Blow after blow, sparks were flying from the clashing blades, the sound of steel clashing roared in the arena, like a smith banging a hammer against an anvil.
Chrom ducked under one of Radko's swipes. From his crouching position, he lunged at Radko who was able to block the attack at the last moment, forming a deadlock and a few words were exchanged.
"Why would you go this far!?" Shouted Chrom at Radko who looked completely void of all emotions, but the flare in his blues shined brightly, if it was from enjoyment or adrenaline, he didn't know.
"To prove myself that I can handle the fighting." He said with a monotone voice, yet his eyes shined with life.
"This isn't about proving yourself anymore! You were already worthy to join in Ylisstol!" Chrom rebuked Radko's drive and his grip on Falchion tightened and forced more strength into the deadlock.
Radko backpedaled, clearly not having enough strength, and disengaged from the deadlock, giving himself and Chrom more time to breathe. Radko slumped after registering Chrom's words through the emotionless façade and didn't make eye contact with Chrom when he spoke his next words.
"No, I wasn't…"
Radko reengaged Chrom with a much more ruthless assault, each strike accurate, but Chrom was able to keep up with him, overcoming Radko's combination.
In the meantime, Robin was still trying to figure out how to deal with Radko's icicles. It surprised her for him to keep his concentration for so long, but if he continued, he would tire himself out quickly. The icicles, while still attacking, had become more sluggish, giving Robin enough time to observe the fight between Chrom and Radko.
What Robin was seeing wasn't a fight, it was a deadly choreography of two dancers, fighting over dominion. Each attack was weaved into another, not giving any time for either fighter to think. They fought purely on instinct, like two lions fighting over their turf.
Radko said his swordplay wasn't anything special, but this proved Robin otherwise. Chrom however had more experience with a blade and it showed. Chrom's attacks were bold and precise with the power behind each strike.
Radko's fighting style was different, it felt like he would be more suited to holding a different weapon entirely. Something with a longer reach than his sword, because he tended to keep his opponent at bay and mostly went for quick thrusts rather than slashes.
The frequency of the attacking icicles slowed even further, giving Robin enough time to open her personal tome with a purple cover with golden trimmings. She got her spell ready while still dodging the icicles when one passed her ear by a hair's breadth, even if they were more sluggish the speed at which they lunged was nothing to scoff at.
With Radko going on the defensive, due to his offense taking a hit from exhaustion, he blocked, parried, or deflected Chrom's strikes with frightening efficiency. Chrom wasn't able to get the jump on him on any of his advances, but out of the corner of his eyes, his battle partner had prepared a spell and was ready to launch it when Chrom gave her the chance.
He backed off, trying to force Radko on the offensive, but he didn't take the bait and waited for Chrom to attack him. Maybe finding the opening wouldn't be with a sword, but with words.
"I have to say… your way of the blade is impressive… I guess I got my wish granted and you didn't disappoint me..." Chrom said slightly panting, a smile growing larger by the second. Radko was reaching his limit and the words Chrom said seemed to bring some emotion to his mask, a small smile gracing his lips.
"Well… I guess… I can… live with that…" He said between his heavy breathing. In that short moment, the icicles around Robin fell on the ground, indicating her time to attack. She reached out with her dominant hand and a stream of purple flames sprouted, aiming at Radko, while Chrom backed away from the attack.
Radko was able to react quickly and brought his tome into his left hand and a barrier made from the same snowstorm that engulfed Sully and Vaike earlier and the magic clashed, fighting for dominion.
The power struggle lasted no more than a few seconds and the clashing magic exploded where Radko was standing, creating a smokescreen, blocking both parties from seeing each other.
"Think you got him?" Chrom asked Robin rather impatiently, praying for the fight to end there, but Robin's answer wasn't reassuring.
"I don't know. Let's wait until the smoke screen dissipates, then we will see."
"Alright then," Chrom replied and they waited. After a few silent seconds, the smoke screen was lifting, but still not enough to see what happened to Radko.
What went unnoticed by both of them were the icicles that were lifeless on the ground that began to shake and then all three of them morphed into one icicle the size of a log. It was hurled at Robin, but it was noticed by Chrom.
"Robin, look out!" Shouted Chrom and seeing Robin not having enough time to dodge the ice log, he pushed Robin out of the way and braced himself for the impact with his Falchion. The log rammed into him and sent him flying, crashing into a wall and knocking the air out of his lungs and he ungracefully fell on the ground.
"Chrom!" Robin screamed and wanted to check on him, but was stopped because the smoke dissipated, revealing a scorched, but still standing Radko with his palm directing the pillar of ice.
He was panting even harder than before, indicating he was already past his limit. His legs were almost ready to give out, with how much he was wobbling from side to side. He looked around to see who he struck with the ice log, seeing as it was Chrom he turned to Robin.
"That… is one… now Robin… it is your turn." He said while calling the icicle back to him, and right before it struck him, it disappeared into yet another small snowstorm and he absorbed it and he looked slightly more rejuvenated, but still was tired. Robin gritted her teeth, looking back at Chrom who was sadly out of commission. She readied her iron sword and her personal tome while glaring at Radko.
"I will defeat you and then beat answers out of you! You are probably trying to usurp our plans for obtaining our alliance, aren't you!?" She angrily asked and Radko looked surprised at the sudden question he was given.
"And why would you think that? I haven't done anything that would indicate as such. Don't jump to conclusions and even if I told you the truth right now, you would just call me a mad man." Radko answered, frustrated. He opened his book and muttered something that Robin wasn't able to pick up on and then charged at Robin with his sword in hand.
Robin was looking for a spell that would help her in this situation and glanced at one. She didn't know what the spell was, but something in the back of her clouded mind said that this was the perfect opportunity.
She began to cast it and instead of a spell that could be launched, it engulfed her in purple flames to everyone's horror, but Robin didn't feel the flames burn her, quite the opposite. She felt more powerful and more aware of her surroundings than ever before like she just got a shot of adrenaline into her body. Radko stopped his charge to admire Robin's display, looking rather sinister, but then got his bearings quickly and resumed his attack.
"Now, let's see what you can do." Robin thought in her head, she pocketed her tome and gripped her sword with both hands, also realizing it was on fire just like her. Radko began with a straight lunge, but Robin dodged it easily to the right, surprising herself just how fast she reacted but didn't dwell on it for long, for there was an opening for her to take.
She swiped with her sword, aiming at Radko's exposed side, but before the sword could bite into him, suddenly another small snowstorm pushed the sword away from him.
Robin's eyes widened, realizing this was the same spell again he used against Sully and Vaike on a much smaller degree.
Radko then attacked with a rising slash and Robin backed away from his attack, but he quickly followed up with a few quick steps and a downward strike. Robin braced herself, blocking the strike and forming another deadlock with the ice mage. The fire lit blade surprisingly wasn't melting the steel of Radko's sword.
"I have to say, those flames of yours are quite handy. I was thinking when you would go all out…" Radko remarked with a lot more of his character than with his fight with Chrom and now looked like he was even enjoying the fight.
"So, what!? If it takes all of me to defeat you then I will gladly comply, it is just a bonus that you will be the recipient!" Robin's declaration brought even more strength to the flames, reaching Radko's hands and burning him.
He yelled in pain and backed off from the deadlock while dropping his sword. He looked at his now char marked hands and lowered them, still wincing in pain. Robin gathered all of her flames into one point, condensing them and the color turned into the deepest shade of purple, almost black.
"This battle is over!" She shouted and sent out the ball of fire at Radko with incredible speed.
Radko only had enough time to summon pillars of ice in front of him to lessen the impact of the spell, but the explosion from Robin's spell shattered the ice and was big enough for him to get caught in the blast, sending him flying against the wall and just like Chrom he crashed into it, unmoving once he got on the ground.
Robin was panting after such a powerful spell but was able to stand on her legs and after a few seconds of silence, the Shepherds burst into cheers, congratulating them on winning the fight.
{*}{*}{*}{*}{*}{*}
With the fight over and one messy arena to clean up, Flavia and Lissa, who was with her staff in hand, went down to the arena to check on all three combatants. Chrom, who was leaning on Robin, looked at the duo with a smile on his face. Lissa immediately started to work on both Chrom and Robin, checking for any substantial injuries, all the while Flavia had the biggest grin on her face.
"Well, you don't get to see battles like that every day. Finally saw that Radko fellow in some form of action and he didn't disappoint, and I guess I have few more fighters now." Flavia remarked, to which Robin perked up, not necessarily understanding the khan's quip.
"Wait, you haven't seen him fight yet?" Robin asked, bewildered that Flavia didn't see Radko fight at all. She thought that the khans had to see their champion at least once on the battlefield.
"I did, but in the Tournament of the Gathering Storm, people underestimated him so many times that most of the fights he fought ended like the first duo who tried to fight him today, pretty much winning the tournament without him needing to move from his spot once. People only looked at him as a cheater of some sorts, abusing his very rare affinity to ice magic. Even some of the Feroxi didn't even give him a chance to prove himself. One happened at the border and the second was when he wanted to enter the said tournament. He probably wouldn't be here if I didn't intervene in the nick of time." Flavia explained and Chrom now saw why Radko was downplaying himself so much, he was probably only looking for recognition that he was never able to obtain.
"That is, actually quite sad. Well, people do say 'don't judge a book by its cover'." Robin said with a hushed tone, feeling a little amount of regret after almost blowing up Radko. She also found him still laying on the ground in the arena unconscious and since the worst of the injuries that Chrom sustained were healed, she turned to Lissa.
"Lissa, could you please check on Radko, he is probably in a lot of pain after I almost burned his hands away," Robin asked her and she didn't need to be told twice. With a nod, she went to Radko to wake him up and heal the worst of his injuries too.
"What happened after he won the tournament?" Chrom asked, being quite intrigued by Radko's endeavor to strengthen himself.
"After he won? I chose him as my champion, of course, but he was unfit for the tournament that wasn't even two months away. I took it upon myself to train him and let me tell you, he almost broke from the training. He survived thus far, and I have to say after today's performance, I am quite proud of myself for how well I trained him. It also helped he already knew something about swordplay and his fighting style, while sometimes underhanded, is quite deadly." Flavia said with pride.
"You made me run almost naked in this cold wasteland, woman. I thought I would die from the sheer cold." The trio turned around to see a slightly limping form of Radko with Lissa close behind who was snickering at Radko's remark. He picked up his sword along the way and sheathed it inside a red scabbard that didn't fit with his attire. Surprisingly, his coat was still intact and looked like it just passed through a rough wash, instead of an all-out fight.
"Hah, but look at you finally growing a pair, I'd say it was a job well done! The skinny boy that was you back then finally has some muscle!" Flavia guffawed at Radko who was a little annoyed, but it then formed into a smile, he then faced Chrom and Robin.
"Well, I have to say I wasn't expecting to be able to knock one of you out. I guess I did underestimate myself." Chrom chuckled at that, seeing the paradox that not only people around him saw him as weak, but Radko himself as well. That was something they will work together to fix.
"It was a little underhanded, but I guess we all fight differently. Also, are Vaike and Sully alright? I hope there is no permanent damage." Robin said, worried for her two comrades.
"As I said, don't worry. I warned Flavia about what could happen, and we had a few fire mages to deal with the ice I created. They might have a cold though, but that is something that just a few days of rest and a few bottles of Feroxi fire wine will fix." Radko reassured them and all three Shepherds breathed a sigh of relief.
"Now you're talking my language, I'd say we celebrate my new fighters with a keg or two!" Flavia shouted and bolted for the exit and started to form plans for the imminent party. Chrom looked stunned that the almighty east khan of Ferox would be so eager to celebrate something so minor, but he didn't know Flavia that much. This could be something she commonly did and when Radko looked at the three of them, he confirmed Chrom's thoughts.
"Yeah, she likes to make excuses to drink anything. Not that I mind, it was some time since I tasted ale as good as theirs."
"Well, I guess you became fast friends if she drinks as well as you do, Radko." Chrom quipped and that elevated the mood quite well because everyone started to either laugh or chuckle. It lasted for a few moments before Lissa started to praise Radko.
"But wow Radko, you were all incredible! This was the first time I saw someone use ice magic in a fight and you looked so awesome! When you summoned those icicles that looked like blades and hurled them at Robin while duking it out with my brother, it looked like you fought completely under your control! Well, until Robin knocked you out of your high horse." She exclaimed while striking poses and doing all kinds of motions with her hands. Radko didn't know how to respond, not being used to getting praised like that. He eyed Lissa for a few seconds and then an idea popped into his head.
"Hey, Chrom? Do you have the icicle I gave you back in Ylisstol?" Radko asked suddenly and everyone was surprised by that question and then a smile graced Chrom's lips.
"Yes, I do. Give me a second." Chrom said and he started to rummage through his relatively small pouch and Radko had to wonder what was inside this pouch if he had to search for the icicle inside.
Radko learned the hard way when he stored anything with his ice, while it did radiate cold, it did so almost indefinitely, meaning it can freeze anything by giving it enough time. After moments of contemplation, Chrom found his icicle and it still was cool to the touch and Chrom was quite happy he was wearing gloves while handling the ice.
Seeing Chrom having the icicle in hand, Radko reached out with his hand and prompted Chrom to give it to him, but when it was almost in his grasp, Chrom pulled his hand away, while eyeing Radko smugly.
"I will give it to you, on one condition." He said and Radko was surprised at first, blinking a few times, only to realize he already knew where this was going. He crossed his arms and rolled his eyes and sighed in exasperation, indicating it to the others. Lissa was, yet again, snickering, also knowing, and Robin… well, Robin just had her hand on her face, while slowly bringing it down, morphing her face into something horrific while groaning.
"Seriously Chrom? Of all the ways you could choose to ask me to join the Shepherds, you chose to blackmail me on an item I can create at any time?" Radko said with the most deadpanned voice imaginable and Lissa couldn't take it anymore and started to laugh out loud, almost echoing in the arena. Chrom looked rather sheepish and scratched the back of his head with a hand he wasn't holding the ice.
"Am I that obvious?" He half asked the group and he got nods from all of them, making him look even more sheepish than they thought was possible.
"Chrom, you just can't pick better times to recruit new members, can you?" Robin said with exasperation and she knew it was inevitable for Radko to join the Shepherds, she just didn't think it would right after a battle.
"Well, since we will never hear from Chrom what his conditions are at this rate, even though we already know what those already are…" Radko trailed off, he then reached his right hand again for the icicle Chrom was holding and with a deep breath, he uttered a declaration with a resolute tone "I think I am ready, so my answer is yes. Yes Chrom, I will join the Shepherds after we deal with the upcoming tournament.".
Chrom'ssort started to almost sparkle with anticipation after Radko's declaration, but he held himself together and then gave the icicle to Radko, all the while beaming at him.
"Welcome to the Shepherds, friend." He said as he gave it to him. There was a moment of silence to let it sink in for everyone that they had a new member and Lissa was the first one to break the silence by jumping at Radko and pulling his hand.
"Welcome to the band of misfits that are the Shepherds! I, Lissa, will be the first one to give you a tour around Ylisstol once we get back. Oh! You will also have to meet Emmeryn, she is the best! I have heard from Chrom that you were able to-.'' As she bombarded Radko with information and questions, she dragged him away from Chrom and Robin to who knows where, who didn't look surprised at Lissa's anticks, since there was one of them who was a recipient of said tour. They realized that Radko didn't have time to do something he wanted to do, but they didn't dwell on it for long.
"Well, I think that went well," Chrom said to break the silence between them and Robin just signed, indicating that this day was already too long for her.
"I guess, but there are several questions I want to ask him, and he has some answers to spill," Robin said while yawning, the adrenaline finally wearing off, leaving a very tired tactician.
"Looks like I am not the only one that needs a nap. Come, let's go get some rest." Chrom prompted Robin to follow and after a hard thought battle, they made their way towards their assigned guest rooms. Thankfully the arena was close to the fortress, but before they could take their much-needed nap, they were caught by Flavia, who was already with a mug in hand.
"Now, hang on just a second, I can't have the reason for drinking somewhere sleeping! Come on you two, go and get yourself a mug!" Before any of them could protest, Flavia was already pushing them with incredible strength to the main hall where the drinking party was being held. The last of tactician's thoughts were in lines of this probably being the last night where she would drink alcohol for the rest of her lifetime.
AN: So um, surprise? Again? Anyway, after revising my chapters with the amount of free time I got from the Christmas and New year holidays, I found out that there wasn't really a whole lot I wanted to change (except in chapter three). It didn't take long so I had enough time to work on chapter five and I was fast enough to be able to post it even though I stated on my profile I wouldn't.
So, thank you for being able to put up with me.
As always, another 'thank you' to the Fanfiction Treehouse for helping me with my fic and being good company.
Link: gg/9XG3U7a
Thank you for reading this Sunday's chapter and I hope to see you again next Sunday.