Chapter 4: It Returns

His hands ran through his hair, soft and loose to the touch. Gently, he pulled it back, pulling even the bright streak of white along with the rest of his hair. While no mirror told him where it was, it was like he knew, and almost out of habit, Robin tucked it underneath strands of his thicker, darker hair. Once satisfied with his work, he took a small piece of white cloth and tied that around his rudimentary ponytail, making it look more refined to any eye.

On other days or days where he was given more warning, he would have asked his father to help tie his hair into a braid fit for nobility, but today was not one of those days. Even if he was to step onto a battlefield for the first time, Robin knew this was about more than just battle prowess; he had to make an impression.

Midday was approaching faster than he thought possible, and not long after admiring his new tactician's coat, a knock came at the door to his quarters. Swallowing his nervousness, Robin opened it, and was almost instantly greeted by a bright smile from the young princess Lissa. Her blonde pigtails bounced happily just as she was, and behind her stood Frederick, looking stern and stiff as ever.

"Frederick was told to come get you, but I came to get you first!" Lissa exclaimed cheerfully, opening the door wide. "I can't believe you and my brother and Frederick all get to go on a mission together! It's so exciting!"

"Yes, it certainly is," Robin replied with a small smile. Even in the eight years he'd lived in the castle, Frederick had never quite trusted him, as was evident by the stone-cold gaze directed his way the moment he took a step towards the princess. "Frederick, wouldn't you agree?" A teasing smirk fell upon the mage's face, almost as if returning the older knight's look of displeasure.

The second Lissa turned back to him, Frederick sighed softly and bowed his head. "I would agree. It is indeed… Exciting. But milady, as new as this is, it is also dangerous. Lord Chrom, Robin, or myself may get seriously hurt. A responsibility such as this one is not to be taken lightly."

"Oh, come on Frederick, I knooooow that!" Lissa said, crossing her arms and pursing her lips. "Just you wait though! In a few short years, I'll be out there with you and Robin and Chrom, and we'll all have so much fun together!" The knight said nothing, merely staring back at the princess, and they stayed that way for several seconds before Lissa sighed and slumped her shoulders. "Fiiiine, I'll go. Gotta leave all the fighting to everyone but the princess, right?" Clearly, Frederick's dismissal of her excitement had dejected her, but she didn't let it show for long as she turned to give Robin a brief hug.

"Oh… Um, thank you, Lissa."

"No problem! I just wanted to wish you luck before you headed out," she admitted before leaning closer to him. "Grumpy ol' Frederick over there wouldn't let me wish him luck," she whispered. "How mean is that?"

"Incredibly," Robin agreed in a hushed tone. As she let go of him, he dipped his head, almost mocking Frederick's immense and constant respect for the princess. "We'll be back before you know it, milady."

She chuckled at that, while Frederick continued to look unamused. "Well, go on then! Chrom's waiting for you!"

Nodding, he left her side and headed down the stairs where the knight was now indicating with his arm. As he descended, Frederick followed two steps behind, yet he managed to do so without feeling suffocating for once. Robin glanced over his shoulder as he waved farewell to the princess, and she waved back happily. "Be safe!" she called. "Oh, and I like your new coat a lot!"

Instead of giving his thanks verbally, Robin simply smiled, continuing to head down the stairs. He could feel Frederick's gaze boring into the back of his neck, but the anticipation of what was to come next more or less overrode his frustrations with the knight's lack of trust.

The walk to the barracks was unsurprisingly silent, but the moment Robin saw Chrom's head of blue hair in the distance, he felt immense relief wash over him. He picked up his pace, reaching the prince before Frederick even made it through the doors.

"So, they want you to be my tactician then?" Chrom teased as his friend entered the room. "Not that I don't doubt your skills, but I have no idea who thought this would be a good plan."

Shaking his head, Robin agreed. "Neither do I. I mean, these people should know that you're too impulsive to listen to any sort of guidance, right?"

"Hey now, you should be careful with what you say to the Halidom's own prince. Believe it or not, I'm a heavily respected figure around here."

Robin rolled his eyes, but both he and the other teen knew their annoyance wasn't real. Both carried great respect for the other, and though he wouldn't admit it in front of his squadron, Chrom had a great deal of trust in Robin as well. Still, they shared a laugh, and a significantly older knight approached them both after they finished with their banter.

Taking notice of the soldier's presence, Chrom's tone turned more serious. "Robin, this is Laurena. Even though this mission's preferred outcome does not include bloodshed or violence, she will help get you equipped for whatever situation we encounter."

Robin nodded, pulling aside a portion of his coat to show the knight he was already equipped with his new tome. "If it's all right with you, I would like to keep this with me," he said. "I could use a sword though, should you have one to spare."

"Follow me," she instructed. "We have plenty to choose from based upon your skill level."

Gratefully, he followed Laurena around a corner to a small armory made of beginners' weapons, and after some consideration, Robin picked up a light sword made of bronze. "I've sparred with the prince every now and then," he admitted, "but most of my training has been with the other young mages here. Do you think this would work?"

"I do," the knight responded, holding out her hands. Robin handed her the blade, and she looked at it closely, feeling its weight in her hands. "It's balanced quite well, and has been recently sharpened. Be careful with it."

"I will," he promised. "Thank you."

"Of course. Now, I have something else for you." Robin had noticed a small pack attached at the hip to her belt, but was surprised to see her take it off and hand it to him. Inside were two vulnerary vials, along with one set of small rations. "Do you know how to use this medicine properly?" she asked. He shook his head. "The medicine is imbued with magic from our greatest healers. Drinking it will help stabilize any injuries temporarily, but after a fight, you need to be healed fully by an actual healer."

Studying the vials, Robin cocked his head to the side. The explanation made sense, but he hoped he wouldn't have to use one in the near future. He hadn't experienced a major injury in quite some time, and even though Frederick had just lectured Lissa about risk, it was only now starting to register in Robin's mind how dangerous this could be.

But it wouldn't be…

Would it?

Once again, he thanked the soldier for her help, and as he headed back to the barracks' common room, he strapped the pack to his own belt. He exhaled slowly, reminding himself that everything would work out just fine and that the probability of combat was quite low.

Chrom was in the midst of conversation with two other youths when Robin returned, but he stopped as the dark-haired boy approached, giving a look of concern. Was his worry really that obvious? Robin shook his head ever so slightly to ease the prince's mind, and their silent exchange ended there.

"Robin, I'd like you to meet two members of our party for this mission." Chrom motioned for him to join the group. There was a blond boy with a rather muscular build, as well as a slightly older girl with short auburn hair and glasses. Robin recognized the latter of the two as a mage named Miriel. He'd trained alongside her on occasion, but he had not been aware that she was an aspiring soldier of any kind. Her intellect and passion for the study of magic certainly seemed to outweigh her interest in combat practices, but Robin would not question her presence. Perhaps Chrom knew her better than he did, or maybe she was even assigned to him by someone with more authority.

Regardless, Robin dipped his head respectfully to the two standing in front of him. A silence hung over the area before the blond coughed ever so slightly. Crossing his arms, he studied Robin up and down. "So, what is it that you do?" he asked in a rather challenging tone. "Do ya fight with that sword?"

Glancing to the weapon he now carried, Robin shook his head. "No, actually I'm-"

"-an aspiring tactician being trained in the arts of magical combat," Miriel finished for him. The blond gave her a puzzled look. "We have crossed paths several times before. Eleven, to be exact. Robin is the son of one of Ylisse's chief tacticians, and he shows promise to follow in his father's footsteps. I do not believe I have ever observed him in a fight, but I can hypothesize that he is here as a test of his tactical prowess."

"Oh, is that all?" the blond muttered, arms still crossed. "Well, whatever. I'm Vaike, and if my job is to leave the boring stuff to you, then that's fine by me. Just make sure you watch my technique out there- you might learn a thing or two from your ol' Teach!"

Ah, so the boy's name was Vaike. Robin had heard of him a few times from Chrom, but in all honesty, his head was still reeling with how Miriel happened to deduce so much about him in such a short and impersonal span of time. Still, he had noticed that the weapon Vaike carried was an axe rather than a sword, so he was skeptical about how much this guy could actually teach him.

Robin brushed his hand against Chrom's ever so subtly, indicating he wanted to speak with the prince alone. Excusing himself for a few moments, Chrom stepped away, and Robin proceeded to follow. Frederick was keeping an eye on them from a rather generous distance, but that was the least of the mage's concerns for now.

"Chrom… Is this everyone that will be going out on this mission?"

Puzzled, the prince furrowed his brow. "Are you unhappy with how our party is made up?"

"No, not exactly, but I was going over the situation with my father earlier, and I expected… Well, I expected at least one more person who would be able to fight if necessary."

"You told Raven you wanted Frederick and three others, right? Look around, I count that number exactly. I see Vaike, Miriel, and you."

While he wasn't wrong, something in Robin's chest sunk a little, "Chrom…" he whispered, "I've never been in any combat outside of sparring before. A tactician stays to the sidelines and only jumps in if needed, but with the size we're at, what if I am needed? What if I do have to jump in?"

"Hey… It's okay, I promise. We'll be fine. Like I said, we're not even really supposed to get into a fight unless it's deemed absolutely necessary. Okay? Look at me, please." Chrom reassuringly placed a gloved hand on Robin's shoulder. He had a few inches on him height-wise, and the mage looked deep into his stormy blue eyes. "It will be okay. And Robin…" He sighed. "I trust you. Whether or not this anxiety is coming from a tactician's point of view or a soldier's, I know you'll carry us through. In time, I really feel like you'll be a great leader, and you don't become one by standing off to the side in battle. One day, I want you to be right there with me up front, commanding Ylisse's finest troops. This is just the first step."

There was no faltering in his voice, no lie in his eyes. Embarrassment flooded Robin's body, and he scoffed slightly to try and steer the conversation in a different direction. "Okaaaay Chrom, that's a lot of trust you're putting in me here. No pressure or anything, right?"

"That's not what I meant, I just…" As he trailed off, he removed his hand from Robin's shoulder, his gaze now down on the floor at his boots. "I'm nervous too, you know. Frederick's been trying to help, and I know I've lead missions before, but it scares me to think about all the possible outcomes of this. That's why I need you here." Shifting his weight from one foot to the other, Chrom cleared his throat softly. "I know we've been apart for the last few years, but every time we've worked together, I've always felt confident, like we could do anything. Right now, as I'm getting older and all eyes are on me, I need that confidence again. I don't want to let the Halidom or Emm down, and I'm sure you feel the same way."

Robin felt himself chuckle. "Yeah, I get it. I don't want to let my father or anyone else who's put faith in me down. If I mess up and anyone gets hurt, they'll all look at me and think it's because of my lineage that I failed. I don't want that." He placed his hands in his pockets, recalling the same feeling Chrom had described to him. Their various duties had indeed kept them apart in recent times, but the pure excitement he'd felt once he known he'd get to work with Chrom again was something he didn't want to forget. There was so much to prove now, and the bond he shared with Chrom was something that he hoped would make him stronger and more decisive.

"Well," Chrom stated, "it seems we've both got a lot we want to live up to. So why don't you say we head back over to our companions and get ready to head out? Standing here worrying won't help us worry less."

"You're right," he said with a smile. "Oh and… Thank you, Chrom."

"Of course."

The prince gave him a pat on the back before they approached Vaike and Miriel again. The two were now arguing quietly over… something, and Robin couldn't help but take note of what an interesting dichotomy the two represented. Literally, they were brains and brawn.

"All right, everyone have everything they need?" Chrom asked them, effectively putting an end to their heated discussion.

"Yep, Teach is all set! Ready to pound some brigands!"

"Affirmative."

Vaike cracked his knuckles and Miriel tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, both looking determined in their own ways.

"Excellent," Chrom said. "To go over the plan again, the four of us and Frederick will make up the main negotiations and enforcement party. Our objective is to peacefully take the brigands into custody for trespassing and stealing, but if they won't go easily, we may take them by force. A few knights and a healer will follow at a distance in case we need assistance, but this mission is up to us. Any problems or concerns we've got are things we'll have to address ourselves. Understood?"

Each nodded, which seemed to satisfy Chrom. Any nerves he'd expressed to Robin earlier seemed to disappear as he spoke, and a sense of admiration flooded the mage. Being born a prince came with certain responsibilities, but Chrom was just a natural leader. His confidence was clear.

Before Chrom could continue with any other information, Frederick approached the group, carrying an ornately sheathed sword in his arms. It had not been on his person prior, so Robin only assumed someone had given it to him in the past few minutes. At first, he barely took notice, but as the knight approached, Robin couldn't stop staring at the red and gold that hid the blade from his sight.

"Milord, Lady Emmeryn sends her well wishes and blessing," Frederick said, extending his arms to Chrom. The prince looked caught off guard at first, but controlled his expression shortly thereafter.

"Thank you, Frederick," he breathed, taking the sword into his own hands. The design on the hilt was uniquely shaped, almost like a teardrop, but Robin couldn't shake the feeling it reminded him of something somehow.

"Please milord, do be careful with it. The Exalt expressed her utmost disappointment if you were to do anything rash with it again."

Chrom's face tinged with red, and he attached the sheath to his belt carefully. "Th-thank you, Frederick," he reiterated, exhaling deeply. Both Vaike and Miriel stared in awe at the weapon their prince now carried, but Vaike especially seemed enthralled by it.

"Hey Chrom, after this is done, ya have to use that blade and spar with me." Vaike was practically drooling over the sword, but there was an intensity in his eyes that Robin had not previously noticed.

"I'm afraid I must stop you there," Frederick interrupted. "After this mission, Lord Chrom is to return the Falchion to the Exalt. A sword as sacred as this one is not to be dulled by constant sparring."

"Aww, c'mon! It's gonna be his sword someday, so why not let him get in a little more practice with it, huh Frederick?" Vaike protested. Over the span of his complaining, Chrom had moved his hand protectively over the sword, and Frederick sighed irritably.

The bickering between the knight and fighter continued, but Robin's thoughts wandered. The Falchion, he thought. Where had he heard that name before?

So that's the famous blade, is it? Not as impressive up close, I must say.

Panic shot down his spine, as if an icy chill had run through his veins. His dull eyes darted around the room, but no one else seemed to have heard the voice that spoke.

Don't act so surprised, boy. I will admit it has been awhile since we've last chatted, but you know who I am. No reason to quiver with fear. Well, actually, maybe there is, given that the Falchion itself is right there. But right now, that pathetic prince wouldn't have the heart to use it against you.

"What is happening?" Robin hissed to the voice, his fists tightening as his heart pounded wildly. "Who are you? What are you?"

Oh, so you've forgotten me already? Sad. It's taken me quite some time to reconnect with you, but I didn't think you'd forget me in eight short years! How very tragic indeed. Yes, how very tragic…

Robin's heart continued to race, but nobody had taken notice of his sudden tenseness. Not only that, but it seemed like no one had even heard him speak.

Don't be so alarmed, boy. I'm just here to wish you luck before you go. Everyone needs luck, don't they?

He swallowed, skeptical of the voice and its intentions, but ultimately, he nodded ever so slightly.

Good. Now, be at peace. Your mission is far more interesting than anyone could ever think. You'll need to stay calm. Oh, wait, I've already said too much! The voice chuckled, and the sound made Robin grit his teeth. His head started to pound in time with his heart, and underneath the dark gloves he wore, he felt his hands growing oddly cold.

I'll leave you with one last curious tidbit, child. Look at the prince's shoulder. I'm certain you'll figure out the reason why that sword looks so familiar to you if you do.

As much as he didn't want to listen, Robin shuffled to the right just a little until he could see the birthmark that adorned Chrom's right shoulder. He'd seen it dozens of times, and he'd known what it was, but the longer he stared at it, Robin realized something odd.

"That shape… It's the same shape as the hilt of the Falchion's blade!"

Very good, boy. And do you remember what that mark is called?

He did. Chrom had been the one to tell him about the mark in the first place, and it had been not long after they had first met. Recalling its name, a pit formed in Robin's stomach, yet he did not know why. It confused and terrified him, and he bit his lip to help keep down the rising bile in his throat.

Yes, that is correct. You are looking at one of the few people possibly capable of wielding the divine sword Falchion, otherwise known as a bearer of the Brand of the Exalt.

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