The trip back was fairly uneventful. Before the shepherds left Ferox, the West khan had given them a new fighter: A man named Lon'qu. Robin knew from first hand experience that this man was going to be a huge asset. Unfortunately, Lon'qu didn't seem too all fond of Robin, probably because of what happened in the arena.

The shepherds were probably a half a day's march away from Ylisse. The sun was at its peak, so Chrom decided that it would be good to take a lunch break. The khans had graciously donated food for the shepherd's trip back home, much to Stahl's delight. Chrom passed out the food, and Robin closely inspected his sandwich. It was sloppy, but it tasted amazing.

Robin noticed that Lon'qu had opted to sit off to the side. He was silently eating his food, staring off in the direction of where Ferox lies.

Robin had made it his personal mission to befriend all the shepherds. Lon'qu was now a part of them, so Robin decided to go sit next to him and try to start a conversation.

"Hey, Lon'qu," Robin said cheerfully, sitting down on a rock next to the swordsman.

The swordsman glanced at him.

"What do you want?" he asked harshly, then turned back to his old position.

Robin didn't give up yet.

"So uh…I've been meaning to ask you. Uh, how did you learn to fight-like with a sword I mean."

Lon'qu scowled,"Why do you wish to know?"

"I'm just curious, that's all!" Robin replied. "You're incredible! Maybe I could learn a thing or two from you..."

"Apparently I wasn't good enough, seeing how that stupid woman beat me." Lon'qu sighed, but decided to humor Robin.

"…I had a mentor…but he passed years ago."

Robin frowned, then he realized what Lon'qu meant by that, "Oh! I'm so sorry for your loss. Sorry, I didn't mean to bring up any bad-"

"Think nothing of it," Lon'qu interrupted.

To Robin's surprise, Lon'qu didn't seem bothered at all by it. Robin didn't know the feeling of losing someone, but he assumed that it would hurt…a lot. So he didn't understand why Lon'qu was so calm about this.

Lon'qu shrugged, "You're terrible with a sword…but you're quick with a tome," he said, then took another bite of his sandwich.

'Is that supposed to be an insult or compliment?' Robin thought. "Um…thanks?" Robin said.

Lon'qu smirked and shook his head. He turned to the direction of Chrom, who was currently chatting with Sumia, and nodded towards him.

"That man…does he have a sister?"

Robin nodded, "Yep! Two in fact! The exalt, Lady Emmeryn, and Lissa…that's her right there," Robin said pointing in the direction of where Lissa was.

Lon'qu scowled, "That's it?"

"Yeah?" Robin said, cocking his head to the side.

Lon'qu ignored him and continued to eat. Robin sighed, and began to stand up.

"Alright well, if you need anything, don't hesitate to ask. Nice chatting with you by the way," Robin said, then walked off.

Lon'qu was watching the retreating tactician, then sighed, 'I swear, that 'Marth' has to be related to Chrom in some way. They're both similar in too many ways for it to be a coincidence…'

Robin made his way over to Chrom. The two never really had a chance to talk, primarily because Chrom was too busy unintentionally flirting with Sumia.

Robin thought it was actually pretty cute. The two obviously had a thing for each other, but both of them weren't brave enough to make the first move. Robin sighed, 'I'll need to talk to Chrom about this later. At the rate it's going, they won't start dating until they're both sixty.'

Then a thought hit Robin.

When he was talking to Lon'qu, he briefly mentioned Marth…but he called her a 'woman'. Robin smacked himself in the head, "Of course he would know that! Marth said that she won because he figured out her true gender…" He sighed.

"I'm so dumb," Robin said aloud.

"I would hope not," a voice said behind him.

Robin turned to see Chrom walking up to him. "Considering, well you know…you kindaaa have the shepherds' lives in your hands so…."

Robin shook his head, "Nope, I'm all good. I just realized something is all…" Chrom furrowed his brow, "It's not important!" Robin quickly added.

Chrom narrowed his eyes, "I know you're keeping something from me, Robin. I'm not as dense as people make me out to be. If what you hiding is important, I'd like to-"

"If you want to talk about secrets, how about we talk about you and Sumia," Robin desperately blurted out.

Chrom stared at Robin dumbfounded, and he felt his cheeks begin to heat up.

"A-alright fine, we don't need to talk about this right now. I'm trusting you, Robin. Please don't take that for granted," and with that, Chrom turned back to the shepherds.

Robin sighed, 'Should I tell him about Marth? It couldn't hurt…but I did make her a promise.' He bit his lip, 'Not now. I still owe her…'

"Alright shepherds! Time to move out!" Chrom yelled to the group.

The shepherds quickly gathered all their belongings and they were back on the road once again.

The trip continued to be uneventful. Robin was bored out of his mind! Honestly, he was hoping for some brigand or Risen to show up. Everyone seemed to have paired off, aside from Lon'qu and Frederick, who Robin managed to be on bad terms with both of them. He wanted to talk to Chrom, but he didn't want to interrupt his conversation with Sumia…and he really was not in the mood to be a third wheel.

Robin sighed, and began to let his thoughts wonder. Out of all the crazy things that had happened to him in the past week and a half, Robin's thoughts wandered to Marth. Robin felt almost anxious to see her again. He didn't get the chance to ask when, or even if, he would see her again, so that very well could've been his last time seeing her…forever.

Robin heaved another frustrated sigh. On top of that, she seemed to be at least a few steps ahead of him, which was really irritating.

Robin still had so many questions to ask her: Why would she intentionally lose in the arena? Why is her sword just like Chrom's? What's her actual name? How did she even get here?!

Thoughts like those were swimming in Robin's head, and it was starting to give him a headache. He put his fingers to his temple and rubbed them in circles, trying to ease the pain. All Robin wanted to do was lie down in his bed.

'This is going to be a long trip home, that's for sure.'

Robin groaned. Chrom insisted that he, Lissa, Frederick and Robin all went to Emmeryn to give her the news. She was of course quite pleased about the alliance. But, just to spice things up, Phila had burst through the doors bringing bad news.

Long story short, Plegian soldiers were spotted on Ylisse territory and attacked a village. On top of that, the so-called 'Mad King' and his men had abducted the duke's daughter…also known as Maribelle. Apparently, the only way to get Maribelle home alive was to pay "reparations''.

Robin had heard earlier that the king wanted to start a war. Chrom wanted to fight him, and honestly, Robin did too, but Emmeryn had other plans. She wanted to maintain peace, so she offered parley with the king…

"Emm, no you can't," Lissa said.

Emmeryn shook her head, "If I don't do this, Maribelle WILL die. I don't think we have a choice."

"Forgive me, your grace. But please, allow my Pegasus knights to accompany you," Phila said, and went to go stand next to Emmeryn.

Chrom grit his teeth, "I don't like this…but I'm going, too. Someone has to save you from your good intentions."

"Count me in, too! I need to be there for you AND Maribelle!" Lissa piped up.

Emmeryn smiled, "As you wish. Thank you all, truly."

With that, Chrom left to go tell the rest of the shepherds the news. They were to leave immediately if they wanted to save Maribelle.

'I guess I'll need to wait just a bit longer for that bed,' Robin thought longingly.

Robin grudgingly packed what little things he had in his room. This time, he of course brought a book (more like a few). After his things were packed in a leather satchel that Lissa had given him, he hurriedly made his way down to the castle courtyard. Chrom, Lissa and Sumia were already there. There was also a boy there, too. He had messy brown hair and wore a mage's uniform. To compliment that look, he also wore a big pointy hat that was a bit too big for the boy.

The boy walked excitedly over to Chrom, carrying a bag of his own.

"Captain! I'm all packed! When do we leave?" The boy chirped.

'This young boy is a shepherd?' Robin thought. Though, when Robin carefully looked at the boy, he definitely seemed like a capable fighter, despite his age. 'We could use another mage…' Robin thought.

Chrom shook his head, "No Ricken, you're not old enough for a mission like this," he said firmly.

"But captain! You KNOW my skill with magic! You KNOW I can handle myself!" Ricken whined, placing his hands on his hips.

Soon, all the shepherds were here, and they were all waiting on Chrom. Chrom sighed and shook his head, "I'd feel safer with your magic here, protecting the garrison."

Ricken pouted.

Chrom looked to Robin, and nodded to him, which Robin returned. 'Bummer…but I guess the kid's a little too young…Still, we could do for another mage…' Robin thought.

Chrom then turned to the rest of the shepherds, "Alright, everyone here?" He scanned the crowd, "Hey! Am I dreaming, or did Vaike actually show up on time and with his axe?"

"Yeah, yeah, whatever Cap," Vaike said, rolling his eyes.

Chrom grinned, "Alright then. Shepherds, let's move out!" He glanced at Ricken, "Be good, okay?"

And with that, all the shepherds left, leaving Ricken alone.

He watched as they left with longing. He crossed his arms and heaved a frustrated sigh, "Be good? Gods, how old does he think I am? Hmph! Well I'll show him how good I can be!"

Ricken adjusted his hat, which had fallen over his eyes. He then quietly followed the group, determined to save his childhood crush.

The march to the border was quite unpleasant. Everyone seemed to be in a bad mood, so that really put a damper on the march. Robin didn't know Maribelle all too well, but based on first impressions, he wasn't all too excited to see her again.

But, she was a shepherd, and based on what Chrom and Lissa had said, she would also be quite the asset to the team.

The shepherds didn't need to bring as much equipment as they had to their march to Ferox, which was a stress reliever for Robin. Emmeryn was sure that this would be over by noon…but from what Robin's heard, there has to be a catch…

The sun was beating down hard on the shepherds, making Robin sweat. He pulled his hood up, just to try and block out the blinding rays of sun. Luckily, Robin's coat was very breathable, and somehow managed to do a decent job at repelling some heat. Despite all this, Robin was still dripping with sweat.

He tried to take his mind off the heat and think about something else. He would read, but that could risk an injury if he wasn't careful. His thoughts drifted back to the supposed king. 'If this king is just as mad as the stories say, then I should probably prepare for a battle,' Robin thought, then began to run dozens of situations through his head.

The group continued to walk for about another hour and a half, and Robin had already gone through 127 battle scenarios.

"Is that him?" Stahl asked, pointing off into the distance.

Emmeryn was standing up front with Chrom. She nodded, "Yes, that's the border. And it appears King Gangrel is ready for the exchange."

As the group drew closer, Robin could make out a couple standing bodies. Robin saw that the king had indeed brought his own bodyguards.

Gangrel watched as the shepherds drew nearer. He noticed that up front, Emmeryn herself stood upon the shepherds.

Gangrel grinned and maniacally laughed.

"Oh ho! What's this then, hmm? The exalt herself, in all her radiance? I fear I must shield my eyes! Bwahaha!"

Emmeryn's peaceful demeanor didn't falter.

"King Gangrel, I've come for the truth of the unfortunate event between us," She spoke softly.

Robin looked away from the mad king, and looked over to his companion. Robin had to force himself not to immediately blush and look away. Her clothes were, uh…well let's just say that they covered the parts that needed to be covered. The woman glared at Emmeryn. Her gaze shifted towards Robin and their eyes locked.

Her eyes widened as if she knew him, but she quickly composed herself then glared at him as well. Robin refused to back down, so he held her gaze and glared back.

The woman scowled, then turned back to Emmeryn and scoffed, "The truth? Oh, I can give you the truth."

Emmeryn's eyes narrowed ever so slightly, "Perhaps milady might share her own name?"

The woman looked back to Robin, "Heh, you may call me Aversa."

"Very well, Aversa. Is Maribelle unharmed?" Emmeryn asked, eyes still narrowed.

Aversa scoffed and ignored her. The king on the other hand looked confused.

"…Who?" He asked, scratching his head.

Lissa trembled in rage, "Maribelle?! You know, the blond girl in the troubadour- "

"Yes, yes, the blond brat with the staff," Aversa interjected, waving Lissa away.

Aversa snapped her fingers as the king seemed to have just remembered who Maribelle was. Out from the nearby brush, a brigand roughly dragged a girl by her tied wrists.

Maribelle's eyes were blindfolded. She yanked her wrists out of the brigand's hands, but he then grabbed onto her arm.

"Unhand me, you gutter-born troglodyte!" She yelled.

Lissa looked angry and mortified at the same time.

"Maribelle!" She yelled.

"Lissa? Darling, is that you?" Maribelle asked while frantically turning her head in different directions.

Aversa grimaced, "This brat crossed the Plegian border without consent. And what's more…she wounded the brave Plegian soldiers who sought only to escort her safely home."

"LIES! You speak nothing but lies you filthy, hag! Did they not teach you the meaning of "truth" in wretched-crone school?" Maribelle spat.

Aversa rolled her eyes, "You see? Absolutely NO manners at all. Such a nasty bird simply had to be caged."

Gangrel shook his head, but he was grinning as if he was enjoying this, "Such violent temper speaks to her guilt, and this will of course call for weighty punishment. Oh, and if she were to confess to being a Ylissean spy…well, it would take a CONSIDERABLE act of good faith to repair our relations, dear exalt."

Now it was Maribelle's turn to shake with rage, "I have done absolutely nothing wrong! It is they who should confess! They were the one who invaded Ylisse. They razed an entire village! Killed and slaughtered oh so many people, including children…and they were laughing while they did so! Utterly disgusting! I attempted to intervene and save some of the villagers, but then they dragged me across the border! Your grace please! Let the plundered shops and charred homes serve as my proof!"

Gangrel chuckled, "Well my dear, that will only prove that Ylisse has a bandit problem."

He laughed again, "Hehe! Oh, I'll for sure be weeping salty tears for your dead villagers."

Maribelle then started to thrash around and scream at Gangrel. Chrom looked mortified, and Robin slowly began to reach for his tome.

Gangrel continued to laugh and Chrom had reached his limits.

"You black-hearted devil!" He shouted, reaching for his sword.

Gangrel stopped laughing and looked to the prince in disgust, "Control your dog, my dear, before he gets someone hurt."

Emmeryn put a hand on Chrom's shoulder, and shook her head. He sighed, and slowly released his grip on Falchion.

Gangrel gave Chrom one final glare, then he turned back to Emmeryn, "Now then. Perhaps we can arrange a trade? I'll give you this brat in exchange for the Fire Emblem."

There was a wave of murmurs throughout the shepherds. Robin wasn't sure what exactly a Fire Emblem was. He heard about it briefly from somewhere, but he did not know exactly what it was. What he did know was it is important…and powerful. If in the wrong hands, things could get dangerous. Robin knew that for sure.

"You would ask for Ylisse's royal treasure? But why? What use do you have for it?" Emmeryn asked.

Gangrel beamed, "Because I know the legend! The Fire Emblem is the key to having one's wishes realized. I have desired it for years. YEARS! Yet through every passing birthday…still nothing from Ylisse."

"The Emblem's power is meant for one single purpose, King Gangrel: to save the world and its people at their hour of most desperate need. Would you claim a more noble wish?" Emmeryn said why scowling, a sight that was new to Robin.

Obviously, the 'Fire Emblem' in Gangrel's hands could only lead to disaster, and Robin was pretty sure Emmeryn knew that, too.

Gangrel cackled, "I just want what every one of my fellow Plegian wants—a quick and brutal end for every last Ylissean! What could be more noble than that, dear?"

'…I was not…expecting that answer…' Robin thought.

There were shouts of anger from the shepherds behind him. Sully was about to run a Gangrel, but was held back by Stahl and Virion, so she just settled for cursing at him. Frederick's face was mortified, but it then changed to pure rage…a sight that made Robin shiver.

Lissa, who had mostly been quiet, went to go stand closer to Emmeryn. All the shepherds, including Sumia, were fuming.

Even Robin had to fight the urge to barbecue the king with his tome.

Emmeryn's eyes widened, "W-What?"

"You heard me. Surely you have not forgotten what the last exalt did to my people, dear? Your father named us heathens! His so-called 'crusade' across Plegia butchered countless of my subjects and kin!" Gangrel shouted angrily.

Emmeryn looked down in shame, "…I have not denied Ylisse's past wrongdoings. But I have sworn to never repeat those mistakes. Ours is now a realm of peace."

Gangrel seemed to have pondered it for a moment, but he quickly shook his head and his anger returned.

"Yours is now a haven of hypocrisy! Now give me the Fire Emblem, girl!"

Maribelle frantically shook her head, "No! Your grace, please! I'd sooner die than act as a bargaining chip for this filthy reprobate!"

Emmeryn shook her head, sadly. "No, Maribelle…"

Gangrel rolled his eyes and crossed his arms, "Ugh…Taaaaaaaalk talk-talk-talk-talk. You bore me…It's time to speak louder than words! This negotiation is over, girl. I shall have the Fire Emblem if I have to pry it from you dead hands!"

Gangrel nodded toward one of his brigands. The brigand then drew his axe and ran directly at Emmeryn. Chrom intercepted the man and cut him down effortlessly. The man's body fell to the ground with a loud thud as blood pooled around him on the grass. Chrom looked at the other brigands, who were all clutching their weapons in fear.

"Stay back! Or you'll all suffer the same fate!" Chrom shouted, and pointed Falchion towards the men.

Gangrel grinned, "Hahaha well, that a declaration of war princey…a big, messy, brutal war that will bleed you Ylisseans dry!"

Maribelle, who's blindfold had slipped off while she had been shouting, looked towards her friends in horror.

Aversa looked at Maribelle and smirked, "Poor, stupid girl," Aversa cooed as she reached to play with on of Maribelle's not-so-perfect curls, "Are you really worth fighting a war for? Years from now, you'll be remembered as only she who destroyed House Ylisse."

Maribelle bit her lip as it trembled, "No…that's not…please, no…"

Robin wasn't sure what to do. As much as he wanted to save Maribelle's life, giving Gangrel the Fire Emblem could lead to the deaths of thousands of others. Was Maribelle's life worth that much?

Then, in the trees behind Maribelle and Aversa, Robin saw a small figure move.

His immediate thought was that it was Marth, but he was sadly disappointed. Instead, the boy, Ricken, krept forward, holding what looked like a wind-tome. His eyes were trained on Maribelle as he slowly made his way through the clearing.

No one seemed to have taken notice of Ricken yet, not even Maribelle and Aversa. Aversa was reaching for a sharp dagger, and raised it to Maribelle's throat while smiling. Maribelle just glared back.

"NO!" Ricken shouted, as he launched wind magic at Aversa. Aversa cried out in pain as the wind pierced her arm. She jumped back, holding the dagger towards the boy. Aversa glanced over to where her mount and tome were, then looked back at the boy, who was busy untying the girl.

Maribelle looked at Ricken in amazement, "Ricken?! What are you doing here?!"

"Maribelle, just run! We'll talk about it later!" Ricken replied, as he spun back towards Aversa.

Aversa frowned and glared at the pair.

"Oh, is this your little boyfriend, brat? Isn't he just precious?" She cooed.

"Don't talk down to me, witch!" Ricken yelled, then launched another wind spell at her.

Aversa jumped out of the way, unscathed. He turned back to Maribelle and grabbed her hand. "Come on, Maribelle! Let's go!"

"Right!" Maribelle nodded, and ran off with Ricken.

Robin watched as Ricken and Maribelle ran off, and Robin felt relieved that Maribelle was safe. 'Great, one less thing I need to worry about,' Robin thought.

Unfortunately, Ricken had officially started a battle with the Plegians…but that probably would've happened anyway. Everyone quickly gathered their weapons and were ready for battle.

Robin already had a plan in mind: He, Chrom, Sumia, Frederick, Lon'qu, Sully and Stahl would fight on the frontlines while Miriel, Virion and Kellam would fight from the back lines. Robin had paired Vaike up with Lissa to add another line of defense for her, much to Vaike's disappointment.

Gangrel was barking orders at his men, but he himself stood in the back lines. Aversa stood beside him, but for some reason, she was grinning.

Robin gave his orders to the shepherds, and everyone went to their positions.

The battle was going fairly well. Most of the Plegians didn't have much of a fighting style, and Robin was pretty sure they weren't even soldiers. Robin had paired himself up with Sully, seeing that the two fought well together at the battle at the fort.

One thing that Robin had learned about her was her extreme competitiveness. She always wanted to outdo him, but Robin was not going to let that happen either.

"Hah! That's five, Robin! What are you at? Two?" Sully teaser as she skewered a Plegian with her lance.

Robin pulled out his tome and launched a thunder spell at three Plegians who were conveniently lined up.

"Heh, that's seven," Robin said smugly while dusting his hands off.

Sully rolled her eyes.

"Yeah whatever, Robin," she grumbled.

Robin laughed, "Aw, what's wrong, Sully? Giving up yet?"

"Nope! The phrase 'giving up' ain't in my vocabulary, Sparkles." Sully replied, then cut down another Plegian.

"Sparkles? That's new," Robin said, then shot another thunder spell at a Plegian.

"Guys, can you focus, please?" Sumia said as she rode up near the duo, with Chrom in tow.

Robin and Sully nodded, and forced their attention back to the battle.

Chrom had a lot of emotions flowing through him at the moment. The first, and probably strongest emotion, was anger. He felt pure hatred towards the king. Gangrel was not only heartless, but he was a coward.

Chrom watched as he sent his own men to their deaths as Gangrel just watched from the back lines. He even swore that he saw Gangrel grin from time to time, which was sickening to Chrom.

At the same time, Chrom was happy. Ever since Robin had joined the shepherds, Chrom felt closer to all the shepherds, especially with Sumia. Chrom was quite pleased that Robin had paired up himself and Sumia for this battle. Chrom knew that they worked well together, but Chrom couldn't help but wonder if Robin had another motive behind it…

"You ready, Captain?"

Chrom was forced out of his reverie as Sumia walked up next to him with her mount.

"Oh! Uh…yeah, I am," Chrom replied nervously.

Recently, Chrom found himself stuttering a lot around Sumia, and he wasn't sure why.

Sumia grinned as she mounted her Pegasus. She held out her hand to him, "You need a ride?"

Chrom shook his head, remembering the last time he rode with Sumia, "No! I-I mean to say, *ahem* it would be more tactical if I were to fight on the ground. You know, so I uh, can take down any bowman or…" he sighed and shook his head, "I appreciate it Sumia, but I think I'm fine."

Sumia looked a little disappointed, but tried to cover it up with a small small, "Oh, it's no problem captain! I guess your reasoning is smart…and understandable,"

Sumia looked over in the distance and saw that the Plegians and shepherds were already fighting. Sumia readied her lance and looked back to Chrom, "We better get going, Captain. It looks like Robin has given the signal."

Chrom nodded, and the two took off to go meet up with Robin and Sully.

"Ugh! This is soooooo boring! Why does ol' teach always get put in the back lines?" Vaike whined.

Lissa rolled her eyes, "Oh come on Vaike! It's not all THAT bad. I mean, you do get to spend time with me so…" Lissa said, and flashed a cute grin.

"Yeah squirt? Watcha gonna do? Tourture me with your so-called, 'pranks'? Naw, I think I'll pass on that," Vaike said, crossing his arms.

Lissa placed her hands on her hips, then scowled, "Hey! Most guys would love to be pranked by a cute girl! At least you'd get my attention!"

"Yeah, MOST guys. Not me!" Vaike said as he glared at Lissa, who glared back.

Vaike looked back to where the battle was, then sighed in longing. He looked back to Lissa, who was currently chasing a blue butterfly around in circles. Vaike sighed, 'This may be the boring job…but it's important. Chrom trusts me with her life…I won't let him down.'

Aversa watched the two sides clash. Her eyes scanned the entire battlefield, but they stopped on Robin.

'Odd, he looks just like him. But, that can't be him…can it?' Aversa thought.

Robin was fighting alongside a female knight with short, red hair. The two seemed to get along well. A female Pegasus knight flew up with the prince shortly behind. She scolded them, then the knight and Robin appeared more focused.

Aversa frowned, "There's only one way to test this,' she muttered, and pulled out her tome.

Gangrel watched as his side was clearly losing, and frowned.

"It's not fair!" He yelled, and stomped his foot on the ground like a child.

Aversa, who was mounting her pegasus, looked at him. "Life generally isn't fair, milord."

"Where exactly do you think you're going, Aversa?" Gangel asked as he watched her mount her horse.

"…I need to test something sir." She replied, then took off.

Gangrel rolled his eyes, "Pah! Who needs her?" He then turned, "I have more important matters to attend to then play the Ylissean's game."

And with that, Gangrel ran off with a few of his men, leaving Aversa and his captain to see the battle through.

Robin watched as Gangrel ran off. Sully noticed, too.

"You coward!" She yelled, "Come back here and fight me like a man!" She then took off after Gangrel.

"No, Sully! Wait! Let him go! We're supposed to fight as a…team." Robin sighed as Sully got too far to hear him.

Robin turned to Frederick and Stahl, "Go after her. Make sure she doesn't get herself killed, please."

Frederick and Stahl nodded, and then they took off after her. Robin sighed from annoyance.

"Hehe, a frown really doesn't suit you, handsome."

Robin whipped around with his sword and was met with the same sorcererest as before: Aversa.

"What do you want?" He spat.

Aversa put on a mock, hurt expression, "Oh dear. Is someone in a foul mood? You wound me, dear."

"I don't trust you. Seeing that you fight for a king that is as cowardly and cruel as the man you serve, well, I think you get why I wouldn't like you," Robin replied.

Aversa looked Robin up and down and gave him a sly smile.

"Heh, yes you're just like how I remember you, Robin. Anyways, I best get going…my liege is waiting for me."

Robin narrowed his eyes, "I don't remember introducing myself to you."

"Why would you introduce yourself to someone you've already been acquainted with?" Aversa replied plainly.

Robin paused, "…What?"

Aversa ignored him, and ascended up into the air on her Pegasus.

'How curious. He didn't seem to recognize me, or even remember anything. Has he truly forgotten his purpose?'

"H-hey wait! How do you know me? Could you tell me more about myself? What about my past? Who am I?!" Robin yelled after her, but Aversa was already out of earshot. Robin cursed under his breath.

"Dammit!" He yelled, and kicked the ground, causing dust to stir.

"You good, Robin?" Chrom asked from behind him.

Robin turned around and just nodded, then walked past Chrom. Chrom frowned, but followed Robin to the rest of the shepherds.

Maribelle and Ricken had met up with the rest of the group sometime after when Chrom and Sumia defeated the Plegian general, Orton. Frederick and Stahl had managed to bring Sully back safely, without causing any more trouble.

Unfortunately, Gangrel had gotten away, so the tension between Ylisse and Plegia is definitely growing.

Virion, Miriel, and Robin assumed Kellam had all also regrouped with the rest of the shepherds. Vaike had kept Lissa safe, and they too joined the group. Lon'qu even joined the group. Though he stood a couple yards away from everyone, he seemed a little more comfortable with the shepherds.

Lissa immediately ran up to Maribelle, tears forming in her eyes, "Maribelle! Are you hurt?!"

Maribelle gave her a reassuring smile, "Nothing that I can't handle, dear."

Lissa pulled her friend into a tight hug, which Maribelle gladly returned. Robin smiled. He had heard a bit more about Chrom and Lissa's dark past from Miriel, who was more than happy to inform him of their history. He learned that Chrom and Lissa's parents had both died when they were young.

Maribelle seemed to be some sort of motherly figure to Lissa, which was a heartwarming sight for Robin.

Lissa let go of Maribelle, then went to talk with Ricken. Robin and Maribelle locked eyes, and she scowled.

She pursed her lips, then sighed. Slowly, Maribelle walked over to Robin, looking like she regretted every step. Robin watched her approach, and he couldn't help but grin a little. Maribelle stopped about three feet from Robin, and crossed her arms.

"I'm glad you're safe," Robin said, trying to be as polite as possible.

Maribelled heaved another heavy sigh, "Your name…it's Robin, right?"

Robin nodded, "Yep, that's right! Look, I know that you're not especially fond of me due to my 'buffoonery,' but it's a relief to see you safe all the same."

Maribelle shook her head, "It's not a question of fondness, Robin. I am simply protective of Lissa. My treasure is very sensitive, you see, so…" Maribelle's eyes widened, "Am I really justifying myself to a commoner?!" Ugh, gods…" she sighed and rubbed her temple, "Yes, well I do apologize for being…curt. And…And…" she took a deep breath and said very quickly, "You have my gratitude for being a part in the rescue."

She exhaled, "There! I said it! Happy?"

Robin smiled. 'At least she doesn't seem to hate me as much,' he thought.

"It was no biggy Maribelle. I'm just glad I could help, is all."

"Biggy? I think you mean, 'It was no problem, milady'. Ugh, looks like you'll be needing some lessons on how to talk to a woman, Robin."

Robin nodded, "If you think that's wise…milady."

Maribelle nodded in approval, then walked off.

Emmeryn and Chrom were discussing what the next move would be. Obviously, a war was brewing, and as much as Emmeryn wanted to avoid a war, the lives of her people were more important.

Chrom gathered all the shepherds, and they departed back to Ylisse. Emmeryn clutched her healing staff tightly to her chest.

"It seems that war is truly upon us…we must protect the Ylissean people at all costs."