Castle Laus…
Eliwood and Hector returned to the castle when Eliwood had calmed down. Inside, they found Chrom and Robin studying a map that had been laid out across a large table. Evidently, it was a map of Laus and the surrounding area that was found in the throne room.
"Sorry… that won't happen again." Eliwood apologized sheepishly.
"No, there's nothing to apologize for." Chrom insisted. "We all know how worried you must be about your father."
"So what's this meeting about?" Hector asked.
"Well, we're trying to figure out where Marquess Laus might have fled to." Robin explained.
"Hmm, do you think they fled towards Ostia?" Hector asked. "Erik did say they were plotting a rebellion."
"True, but that would only be a logical course of action if they were already prepared to fight against Ostia." Robin countered. "Based on their strategic style in our last battle, they seemed content on waiting us out… something that suggests to me that perhaps they were also trying to buy time. And besides, if they had just enough to deal with Ostia, if we were to flank them from behind, it's a lost battle for Laus. No, my guess is, they would probably flee to a neighboring region, perhaps one that also agreed to join in on the rebellion."
"True... " Hector nodded. "But what if they hadn't thought it out that far ahead?"
"That's also a possibility…" Robin admitted. "Although, based on Erik's testimony, I'd wager this Ephidel guy is quite cunning. We should probably proceed with the assumption that he is at least equal to me in strategic thinking."
"All right, so if we give them the benefit of the doubt, where could they have gone?" Eliwood asked.
"See, that's what we're trying to figure out." Chrom explained. "Since we can rule out Santaruz, the most likely places for them to run to would be these four places."
Chrom gestured to four points on the map. "Kathelet, Worde, Ryerde, or Caelin."
"Ok… but how do we narrow it down further?" Hector asked. "You can't possibly be thinking of splitting us up into four groups?"
"No, not four groups." Robin furrowed his brows. "Unfortunately, we only have two pegasi at our disposal… if only Cynthia and Gerome were also here…"
"Robin, this isn't the time to lament about such things…"
"Yes, Chrom, you're right. Anyways, so this is the best I could come up with." Robin made a few gestures on the map, to which Eliwood and Hector leaned in on in order to make sure they understood.
"We'll split ourselves into two groups, not four." Robin explained. "One group will march towards Kathelet and another towards Ryerde. Then we'll have Cordelia and Sumia fly towards Worde and Caelin respectively. If they don't see anything, they'll regroup, and we know Laus didn't flee towards these two locations. If one of them finds the Lausians, they'll immediately inform the nearest group and change their course to catch up with Laus. That way, we can cover all our bases."
"Hmm, that doesn't sound too bad, but wouldn't it be risky to fight Laus with only half of our soldiers? I mean, we aren't exactly traveling with an army here…" Hector pointed out.
"True… we probably can't win in a head on confrontation if we split in half." Robin admitted. "However, what we could do is slow them down, and buy the other party time to catch up. Then we might stand a chance. In my book, it's better than taking a fifty fifty, or even a seventy five twenty five and risk missing them entirely."
"Robin wouldn't even suggest this if he weren't confident in the skills of the shepherds." Chrom chuckled. "And evidently, he thinks that with our current resources, we can pull it off."
"I'll put my faith in him as well then." Eliwood decided. "How are we going to split the groups?"
"Well…" Robin began.
"...That won't be necessary." Lon'qu, who had entered the throne room, drew everyone's attention with his remark.
"Lon'qu… what do you mean?" Robin asked.
"The green-haired swordsman… he said he found a large number of tracks." Lon'qu reported. "Horses… and humans. Apparently quite fresh."
Chrom and Robin looked at each other.
"Which direction were they headed in?" Chrom asked.
"...Tell them." Lon'qu gestured to someone standing outside.
At Lon'qu's beckoning, Guy walked in.
"U-um… hi…" Guy nervously chuckled.
"There's no need to be so nervous." Chrom smiled. "Tell us what you found."
"W-well, I found a large number of tracks outside the castle… they were leading towards the Southeast…"
"...and you think they could be the marquess and his men?" Robin asked.
"Y-yes, yes sir!" Guy nodded. "Based on the footprints, I'd say there were hundreds of people… there's no way it could have just been a traveling merchant… or even a band of mercenaries."
"Interesting…" Chrom cupped his chin. "Are you confident in your tracking abilities?"
"Yes sir! I used to be able to track rabbits across the plains back at home! Humans are so much easier to follow than rabbits!"
"I see." Robin nodded. "Thank you. You might have saved us a lot of trouble."
"Then we'll be taking our leave." Lon'qu nodded in acknowledgement, a gesture which Chrom repeated back to him. Afterwards, the Feroxi swordsman led what appeared to be his new student back out of the room.
"That's some pretty crucial information." Chrom chuckled.
"Right… that means they must have headed towards Caelin…" Eliwood furrowed his brows. "Right?"
"Yeah." Robin nodded. "Which makes our job a lot easier. Tell everyone to get a good night's sleep. We're marching for Caelin first thing in the morning. It's not as efficient to travel at night anyways, and everyone could use some rest."
"Got it." Chrom patted Robin's shoulder as he began to leave. "You take your own advice to heart as well."
Caelin…
Lyn was having a wonderful dream…
She was riding across the open plains side by side with Robin. The two of them were laughing and having a good time. Robin leaned in and whispered something into her ear, and rode off. Lyn made a cry of protest and began chasing after him.
Unfortunately, no matter how hard she worked her horse, she couldn't seem to catch up. Once in a while, she'd get tantalizingly close to him, only for Robin to speed up and increase the distance between the two of them once again.
She chased him across the entire plains… and eventually into the mountains. After what seemed like many more hours, the scenery changed again and the two of them pulled up in front of Castle Caelin.
Her grandfather came out to greet them. He held in his arms a baby with the characteristic green hair of the people of Sacae. A young girl with Robin's snow white hair was peeking at the two of them from behind Lord Hausen.
With a smile on his face, Robin took the baby from Hausen and held it in his arms. When Lyn finally caught up, the girl ran out from behind her grandfather and into her arms.
Eventually, Robin and Lyn, each holding onto one of the girl's hands, walked together towards the castle together.
Subconsciously, Lyn clutched onto her pillow a little tighter as she basked in the pleasantness of her sweet dream… that is, until she was awoken by a clamor.
"Wh-what's going on?" Lyn asked as she sat up and rubbed her eyes.
"Milady Lyndis!" Sain slammed the door open. "Quickly, we have to get out of here!"
"What!?" Lyn was instantly awake. "What do you mean? What's happening?"
"The castle is under some sort of sneak attack!" Sain exclaimed. "Start preparing! I'll fill you in as we go!"
Lyn immediately got out of bed. Upon getting dressed and retrieving her Mani Katti, Lyn left with Sain as her escort.
"They attacked under the cover of night!" Sain explained. "We weren't fully prepared, and many of the soldiers got captured already! We'll have to escape and regroup!"
"Got it." Lyn and Sain, who both knew the layout of the castle like the back of their hands by this point, quickly chose the efficient path to get out of the castle. They ran into a soldier or two, but the two of them were able to quickly dispose of anyone in their way.
"Over here!" Once outside they ran into the woods for cover, and Lyn heard a familiar voice calling towards her. She turned to see Wil gesturing towards them.
Sain and Lyn changed their destination and grouped up with him. They found that Florina, along with her pegasus, was also lying in wait alongside the archer.
"What's the situation?" Lyn asked once she was able to catch her breath.
"Kent went back to try and save Lord Hausen." Wil explained. "That was quite some time ago… since he hasn't come back, it might mean he was unsuccessful. Even worse, he might have been captured…"
"No…" Lyn closed her eyes.
Fortunately, Wil's theory was soon proven wrong when Kent rode out of the castle. Unfortunately, he was riding solo, meaning he was not able to save Lord Hausen.
Upon rejoining them, Kent immediately apologized. "I'm sorry milady, I was unable to save your grandfather… All I know is that he's apparently being held prisoner right now, so at least there's still hope."
"No, don't worry." Lyn furrowed her brows. "We were all caught off guard. We'll just have to find an opportunity to raid the castle and free my grandfather. Didn't Sain say there were some captured soldiers as well? Perhaps we could free them first so they can help us."
"You're right, milady…" Sain agreed. "But we all just narrowly escaped… let's first all calm down and catch our breaths. We can come up with a plan while we rest."
"Who attacked us anyway?" Wil asked. "Surely the castle could not have fallen to an ordinary group of bandits, right?"
"I overheard some of them talking when I was inside the castle…" Kent gulped down some water from a canteen that Florina had passed him. "Apparently, we're dealing with Laus's soldiers."
"Laus!?" Sain asked. "Have they gone mad!? Attacking another Lycian territory is considered treason! We could easily petition the neighboring regions to help us. They'll be obligated to do so!"
"That'll take too much time." Lyn shook her head. "Who knows what they'll have done with my grandfather by then? He's an elderly man… even if they kept him in a jail cell and didn't mistreat him otherwise… I'm not sure if his frail body could handle it…"
"That's not all." Kent wiped his lips with one arm. "I also overheard someone say that it was Lord Eliwood that had invaded Laus and driven them out."
"What!?" It was Lyn's turn to exclaim in shock. "Eliwood!? No… there's no way he could have attacked Laus unprovoked, right? Eliwood's not that kind of person!"
"I agree." Kent nodded. "Even if Eliwood was the one to blame, there's no reason Laus would attack another region in retaliation. This leads me to believe that if Eliwood did indeed attack Laus, he had a good reason to do so."
"Then… Do you think we can expect reinforcements from Pherae?" Wil asked hopefully.
"Well, since we know Eliwood was in Laus, he might not be far from here…" Lyn voiced her thoughts aloud. "Perhaps he's even chasing the Lausians that escaped…"
"Then if we were to contact him, maybe he could come to our aid!" Sain suggested.
"If we are to avoid getting caught, the best path would be through the forest." Wil pointed out. "Should I go?"
"I suspect you're right." Lyn nodded. "Horses cannot travel well through the woods… it might take you a while, but at least you can travel lightly…"
"Lady Lyndis!" Florina exclaimed. "Let me! I'll go! I'll fly over the forest and reach Laus before anyone else can!"
"Florina?" Lyn asked. "Are you sure you can do this on your own?"
"There's no need to worry about me." Florina insisted. "Thanks to my time here, I'm no longer as timid around men as I used to be. And I've met Lord Eliwood before. I'm sure I can do this on my own."
"It will be terribly dangerous… You understand, don't you?"
"Yes. But… I promised myself I would become braver for you. I'm not the weak little Florina I used to be. I'll be fine. Trust me."
"All right… you've convinced me." Lyn smiled. "The job's yours, Florina. But you must promise me that you won't try anything impossible!"
"Yes, milady." Florina immediately prepared to take off. "Farewell!"
"Did you hear our meek Florina?" Sain asked once Florina flew out of earshot. "She sounded most forceful! Beautiful!"
"She's become a full-fledged pegasus knight." Kent nodded in agreement.
"Yes…" Lyn smiled. "Yes she has."
Nearby…
"...Hold on…" After flying in silence the entire time, Cordelia's voice suddenly put Sumia on full alert. "We have a situation."
"What is it?"
"There's a pegasus flying towards us."
"What?"
"You go tell Robin and Chrom." Cordelia instructed. "I'll go deal with it."
"Okay… be safe."
"Yeah, I know."
After their short exchange, Sumia lowered her altitude so she could converse with the marching soldiers.
Cordelia flew forwards to meet her potential enemy, with her lance in hand.
"Stop! Who are you, and what's your goal?" Cordelia pointed her weapon at the other pegasus rider.
"U-um… you're from Ilia, right? I've never met you before..." The other party seemed to be a young girl that couldn't have been older than Sumia's daughters. The thought, although true, was mildly strange to Cordelia. "A-anyways, are you working for marquess Laus or Lord Eliwood?"
"And why do you want to know?"
"Because I've been sent to deliver a message for Lord Eliwood." The other pegasus rider replied. "My name is Florina. I'm under the employ of Lady Lyndis, Marquess Caelin's granddaughter."
Cordelia slowly lowered her lance. Normally, she'd be more hesitant about trusting someone, but she just couldn't believe that the shy young girl was tricking her. Even if she were, Cordelia wagered she could still deal with it.
"If what you say is true, then we're not enemies."
"Truly?" Florina seemed relieved.
"However, you'll have to forgive me. I must remain vigilant until Eliwood confirms that you're not hostile himself."
"Y-yes! I understand!"
After effectively receiving permission from Cordelia, Florina slowly descended in order to talk with Eliwood.
"Florina!?" The first person to recognize her was not Eliwood, but Robin.
"Eep! R-robin!? What are you doing here?"
"Well, I'd like to ask you the same question!"
"U-um… I've been sent to deliver a message to Lord Eliwood from Lyn… Lady Lyndis."
"Lyndis!" Eliwood exclaimed. "Is she safe?"
"Y-yes, milord. Lady Lyndis is just beyond that forest… she's waiting for a chance to assault the castle."
"She's what?" Eliwood shook his head in disbelief. "Nevermind. Still… it's good to hear that she's safe."
"She's fine." Florina nodded. "Although… Lord Hausen's been captured… he's still in the castle."
"I see. Then I suppose we should go help her, right?" Robin looked at Chrom.
"Sure, I mean, that's probably what we would've done regardless." Chrom shrugged. "These are the people we've been chasing, after all…"
"You'll help then? Oh good!" Florina beamed.
"Of course we'll help." Eliwood nodded. "Please, lead the way."
"Y-yes!"
With Lyn…
Unfortunately, after Robin had left, Lyn was unable to receive any additional help from him in terms of swordsmanship. However, she was left with a few exercises that Robin had introduced to her, which she had honed to near perfection. After a year of practice, her blade was quicker and more precise than ever, something that ordinary soldiers of Laus could not contend with.
Due to the complex terrain, Kent and Sain did not have the agency to ride however they wanted. As a result, they were forced to stay on the defensive, and mainly supported Lyn's more vulnerable sides.
However, the woods was a fantastic environment for Wil. He darted around, knocking one target down after another. The Lausians, though frustrated, did not have the tools to catch up with the nimble archer through the messy terrain.
"There's quite a lot of them…" Sain remarked. "How annoying…"
"Things are so far so good." Kent responded. "Hopefully, Florina found help and is returning soon… until then, let's take it slow."
"Incoming!" Wil let out a warning, which snapped the cavaliers back to attention. They leveled their weapons at the charging soldiers once again.
Kent's lance snapped towards an enemy cavalier, driving his target off his mount. Unfortunately, this left him open to a flank, and Kent had to use his weapon to block the sword of yet another horseman.
"Lyndis!" In desperation, Kent cried for help.
Lyn, in response, darted over and slashed her Mani Katti upwards, cleaving Kent's assailant off his horse.
Sain also shifted over to cover Lyn's back while she bailed Kent out. While he did his best to hold off the next cavalier duo, his lance arm couldn't cover both his right and left side. As a result, he had no choice but to grunt in pain as a spear stabbed through the side of his left thigh.
Although he was in pain, it was a necessary sacrifice for him to make, as the spear would have otherwise been aimed at Lyn's back.
As soon as Kent and Lyn recovered from their own predicament, they quickly rushed to defeat the cavaliers Sain had been holding off.
"S-sorry… I've been hit." Sain winced in pain.
"No, it's my fault." Kent apologized. "If I hadn't been caught out, then this wouldn't have happened.
Just then, Wil's cry of pain caused them to turn towards the sound. Wil stumbled out of the woods, with a cavalier on his heels. Kent, out of reflex, drew a javelin and threw it directly at the pursuing soldier, knocking him off his horse with the momentum of the throw.
"Th-thanks…" Wil panted.
"What happened?" Lyn asked.
Wil raised his right arm, which had a nasty gash across it. "I got caught off guard. He got the drop on me… and I couldn't get away in time."
"Can you still shoot?" Lyn asked.
"Y-yes, but it's really difficult to aim…" Wil admitted.
"This is not good…" Sain muttered. "Two of us are injured… this next wave might be it for us."
"No!" Lyn shook her head. "It's not! I won't let it be!"
"Don't give up." Kent encouraged. "Let's fall back for now. I agree, it's probably not wise to keep going…"
"Ah, I hate to rain on your parade… but it looks like we don't have a choice…" Wil chuckled nervously. "I've probably got it in me to take down one or two more… the rest is up to you…"
Indeed, there were more Lausian soldiers charging their position.
"Sain, you can still ride, can you not?" Lyn asked.
"Y-yeah… but fighting is probably going to be difficult." Sain admitted.
"Take Wil. Slowly retreat. Wil… help cover us as we delay them…" Lyn ordered.
"But… no! We won't leave you!" Sain insisted.
"If you stay here… it'll only be a hindrance to us." Lyn explained. "We don't plan on making a stand. It's the only way to keep us all alive."
"I… understand milady." Sain nodded. "Wil… let's go."
Lyn and Kent steeled themselves for the coming onslaught of cavaliers. But before the Lausians could reach them, a white blur fell out of the sky, and a lance stabbed straight through one cavalier and into another, forming a human kebab. The lance was then violently pulled back as the pegasus ascended back into the air.
"Florina?" Lyn asked in surprise.
"Yes, milady!"
Lyn flinched, as her voice came not from in front of her, but behind. Lyn turned to see Florina and Huey land next to her.
"I've brought help!"
At the same time, lightning struck the ground in front of them, electrocuting a couple horsemen that were headed for Lyn and Kent. After another few seconds, a sharp gale blew through the area, further impeding the progress of Laus's knights and ripping smaller trees out of the ground.
"These people… are they with Eliwood?" Lyn asked.
"Yes!" Florina reported. "Actually… he's almost here as well. And you won't believe this… Robin's here too!"
"What!?" Lyn froze. She instinctively wanted to drop what she was doing and run over to regroup with them.
"Milady…" Kent shook his head, seeming to know what she was thinking. "Now's not the time. Your grandfather's life may still be in danger. Let's focus on saving him first. I'm sure we'll have plenty of time to catch up with him after the battle."
"Yes… yes you're right… forgive me…" Lyn's lower lip quivered, even as she clenched her jaw.
"Nothing to apologize for…" Kent chuckled. "We've all longed to see him again…"
"...some more than others." Florina muttered to herself.
"What was that Florina? Did you say something?" Lyn asked.
"N-nothing milady! Must've been the wind!"
Meanwhile, once Cordelia had scored her two kills, she instantly flew towards the injured cavalier and archer. She landed beside them, much to their surprise, and pulled out a heal staff.
"This won't be enough to get you back into full form." Cordelia warned them. "But it'll help lessen the pain and reduce the risk of losing a limb before a proper healer can tend to it."
"Ah, truly you are an angel descended from on high!" Sain lavished praise upon her. "I think I'm in love!"
"Save it." Cordelia warned as she raised her left hand, revealing the ring on her finger. "I'm spoken for already."
She quickly finished applying first aid and got back on her pegasus. For someone that doesn't really use staves, it was all she could do.
"Darn…" Sain snapped his fingers and sighed dramatically.
Wil, on the other hand, flexed his fingers a little. Though the gash hadn't been completely healed, he did feel that he was well enough to fight once again.
"Wow…" Florina stared at Cordelia as she joined back into the fray with stars in her eyes. "So that's what it looks like to be a Falcon Knight…"
"You've never seen one before?" Lyn asked.
"Well, I've SEEN them before, but never in battle…"
"Then you've probably never seen a pegasus rider using magic before right?" Lyn pointed above them towards Sumia.
"Wha-!? How'd she get a black pegasus? I haven't even heard of them before!"
"So that confirms it." Lyn chuckled. "I was thinking you'd be able to tell me more about them, but I guess this is a first for you as well."
"Could they be soldiers from Robin's homeland?" Kent muttered to himself.
"That has to be it." Lyn nodded in agreement. "Robin… he's really back! Just in time…"
"What are you all standing around for?" Wil asked once he ran back on foot. "We can't let them rescue us, and then do all of the heavy lifting as well!"
"Wil's right." Kent pulled on his reins and charged forward once again.
Lyn immediately realized that the battle became noticeably easier. Perhaps the two pegasus riders that Florina had brought back were really that good. Or, perhaps Eliwood and Robin had engaged the Lausians from the other side of the forest. Regardless, they began to make steady progress towards the castle.
When the woods cleared out, Lyn found Eliwood and his allies in the thick of conflict.
"Uh, who are they?" Lyn pointed at two figures at the forefront of the battlefield. One was swinging an axe around like a wild animal, while the other was slashing soldiers left and right with a sword that looked like it was on fire.
"Er…" Kent squinted. "Based on their hair color alone, my guess is it would be Lord Uther and Lord Hector of Ostia. I'm fairly certain the axeman is Lord Hector… but I'm not sure about the other one. Lord Uther should still be in Ostia, and if he weren't, he would be traveling around with many more soldiers."
"No, it can't be Lord Uther." Sain shook his head. "I'm pretty sure that guy doesn't have a sword like that."
"Well… for one, Lord Hector is still as wild as ever…" Kent chuckled. "It looks like his axe is as dangerous to his allies as his enemies."
Lyn observed the figure that was apparently Hector for a while. "It's wild all right, but he hasn't hit a single ally, and knocked down multiple enemies. It looks dangerous, but I'm pretty sure he has it under control."
"As you say, milady."
Though there was mass carnage around her, Lyn couldn't help but feel mesmerized by the battlefield.
In fact, she had zoned out so much that she missed a soldier that was running directly at her.
Fortunately, she recovered in time, and moved to draw her sword. But before she could do so, a burly man struck the Lausian soldier down with a swing of his axe. Lyn blinked to make sure she wasn't hallucinating.
"Dorcas!?" Lyn asked. "What are you doing here?"
"Nice to see you, Lyn." Dorcas nodded. "But please, focus on the battle."
"Right, sorry." Lyn scratched the back of her head with her free hand.
"...but to answer your question, Natalie and I moved to Lycia… I'm currently working as a mercenary… Robin's here, by the way."
"I heard!" Lyn beamed. She already knew from Florina, but hearing it from Dorcas confirmed it for her.
"Actually, there's a few familiar faces…" Dorcas chuckled. "There's Matthew and Serra… oh! And Erk. Erk joined us recently too."
"Wow… it's like a reunion of sorts…" Lyn sighed in contentment.
'...Dorcas, is something the matter?' Dorcas moved his free hand to his head when he heard Robin's voice.
"Gah… no matter how many times it happens, I'll never get used to it. I found Lyn."
'You did? Hold on… let me just… ah. I see her. Thank you. Please rejoin the battle. It looks like Bartre got himself into a bind again.'
Dorcas nodded, he turned around and did what he was told.
After locating Lyn's general location with his Hekseer, Robin began to fill her in on the details.
'Hey Lyn, it's been a while!'
'Y-yeah… it has!'
'Who's with you right now?'
'Uh, Kent and Sain, Florina, and… Wil.' Lyn replied in her mind. 'Wil and Sain have light injuries.'
There was a pause on the other end.
'Got it. I'll send a healer over. In the meantime, here's what you should do…'
Robin began to give her instructions to help her and her bodyguards assimilate into the battle smoothly.
'...and that should be it for now. I'd like to keep talking, but there's more pressing matters right now.'
'Sure, sure. I'll find you after the battle.'
As the battle drew on, the Lausians suffered more and more casualties, yet Eliwood and his allies seemed to never run out of fighting power. Even when someone got a serious injury, they were quickly pulled behind their allies, where a healer presumably patched them up.
'Whoever was in charge of medicine must be seriously experienced.' Lyn mused. She didn't see it happen, but she knew that Sain charged back into the battlefield with vigour and it was as if his injury had never happened.
And Lyn quickly found that it was more than just those two pegasus knights that were impressive. Throughout the battlefield, Lyn found allies that seemed almost invincible compared to the common Lausian soldier. If she weren't in the middle of combat herself, she would've enjoyed watching many of them work.
'So are these Robin's soldiers? No wonder... '
Lyn was already pretty impressed with Kent's skill, but she counted at least four horsemen that were as good, or probably better than him. And that wasn't even including the magic users or archers, and the regular foot soldiers. The only thing that completely caught her off guard was the giant rabbit fighting on their side. But it seems that everyone else, including Eliwood, had already gotten used to her presence.
In particular, there was one swordswoman with dark blue hair that caught her eye. She tore through the enemy with her sword, disrupting and completely dismantling their opponents' formation. In a sense, her speed focused fighting style reminded Lyn of her own swordsmanship.
"Focus… focus…" Lyn lightly slapped herself on the cheek a few times. "You can meet everyone later."
She readied the Mani Kanti and rejoined the fray herself.
Meanwhile…
"Anna." Robin called for the Trickster after finishing his mental conversation with Lyn.
"What's up?" Anna seemed to teleport to his side out of nowhere.
"There's an injured cavalier and archer that's in need of healing." Robin explained. "Could you head over and take care of that?"
"Aww… but if I leave, who's gonna look after you?"
"I'm not defenseless, you know? I'm just often preoccupied with managing the battle." Robin chuckled. "All I really need is a pair of eyes to watch my surroundings for me. As long as I'm given a warning, I can handle any assassins myself. For that task, Merlinus and Brady are more than enough."
"Why can't you send Brady then?"
Robin deadpanned. "He's an unarmed healer. I'm not going to send him into the field by himself. And besides, you'll be able to get over there and come back much quicker than he can."
"All right, fine." Anna pouted. "I'll be right back then."
"Thanks Anna."
"Y'hear?" Brady asked Merlinus, who were waiting around nearby. "With miss Anna gone, we gon' be a lot less safe."
"I-I-I'm aware." Merlinus nodded, despite his shaking knees.
"But dun' worry. Ya haven't seen Uncle Robin in combat b'fore. Like 'e said… just keep yer eyes peeled and scream for help as soon as you see somethin'."
"Y-yeah. I got it." Merlinus took a deep breath. "My cries for help are quite exceptional, after all…"
Thankfully, no one took advantage of Anna's brief absence to attack Robin or their convoy. The Trickster quickly finished her task and returned to Robin's side.
"All done?" Robin asked without turning around.
"Yep!" Anna accepted a canteen of water from Merlinus and took a drink. "It really wasn't anything serious. Looked like Cordelia might have already patched them up before I got there. How's the rest of the battle going?"
"Most of it is finished. We shouldn't have much trouble moving towards the castle anymore. By the time we get there, all of the fighting outside should be done." Robin finally turned to look at her. "Get the wagons ready. We can move out now."
"Sure." Anna, followed by Merlinus, got the horses ready and they began to inch forward to castle Caelin.
After a short journey, they saw everyone gathered in front of the castle. Robin could see Lyn talking with Eliwood, as Hector was off to the side chatting and laughing with Vaike. Everyone was in a rather cheerful mood it seems, as they were waiting for Robin to arrive.
"Robin!" As soon as Robin stepped off of the wagon, Lyn ran up to him and embraced him in a hug. "You're back!"
Alarm bells rang in Chrom's head and his hand immediately sprang into action, stopping Lucina's hand, which was already resting on the hilt of her Falchion.
"Don't do anything rash…" Chrom warned his daughter.
Lucina took a deep breath and relaxed her arm. She nodded to show her understanding.
"Dun' worry." Brady made his way over as well. "It's just a hug… don' mean nothin'... Clearly they know each other, an' she ain't seen 'im in a year."
"She didn't greet Eliwood that way…" Lucina protested.
"Eliwood lives in Elibe." Chrom reminded her. "And they've seen each other recently as well."
"I got it… I got it." Lucina grumbled.
Robin gestured in their direction for them to come over, which caused Lucina to tense up once again.
"Don't worry. We haven't introduced ourselves to her yet. Remember, her status is similar to that of Eliwood and Hector." Chrom reminded her.
"This is Chrom." Robin introduced as they made their way over to him. "He's the Exalt of my homeland, Ylisse. If it's easier, you can think of it as being the marquess of the halidom."
"It's nice to meet you!" Lyn exclaimed as she shook his hand with a smile on her face. "My name is Lyn. I'm marquess Caelin's granddaughter.
"Likewise." Chrom nodded.
"...And this is my wife, Lucina."
At Robin's words, Lucina stood up a little straighter as her tension eased away. A slight smile even began to form on her lips as she took Robin's hand in her own.
"Oh…" Lyn's smile disappeared for a split second before it was instantly replaced by a fake one. The change in expression was so fast that no one saw it… almost no one. "...oh… Well, it's nice to meet you too…"
"Yeah, same for me…" Lucina wouldn't be surprised if she looked smug as she responded, though she tried to suppress it, for the sake of politeness.
"...well, I'd better go greet everyone else..." Lyn made an excuse to leave. "After all, I should get to know the people that are trying to help me retake the castle!"
"Yeah, we won't keep you then." Chrom raised his hand in acknowledgement as Lyn nodded and left, crestfallen.
Now that Lyn was gone, it was Lucina's turn for a hug. She leapt at the opportunity instantly.
"Thank you… I appreciate it."
"Yeah… I figured it was the right thing to do…"
"All right, all right…" Chrom interjected after he had given the couple a little time. "We should focus on the next step now."
"Yes, you're right." Robin agreed as Lucina reluctantly freed herself from the embrace. "The battle isn't over until we've taken back control over the castle."
"Then… I'll give you some time to make a plan." Lucina nodded as she left with Brady following close behind her.
"Take a rest." Robin called after her.
"So how do we attack?" Chrom asked.
"Well, it's difficult to make a concrete plan unless I know the interior of the castle." Robin scratched the back of his head. "I've been here once, but that was over a year ago."
"I may be able to help." Kent spoke up, who had been standing at attention nearby. "I… I think I might have a map of the castle in one of the pockets on my saddle somewhere…"
"Sure, let's go take a look." Robin nodded. "Chrom, I'll let you know when I come up with something. As one of the primary fighters, you should go take a rest. You'll be needed even more in an indoors battlefield."
"Sure. I'll go find Hector or something. I'm actually quite impressed with him. He's even got Vaike's approval."
"...We weren't aware that you had a wife." Kent admitted when the two of them were alone.
"Well, to be fair, I hadn't been married then." Robin scratched his head sheepishly.
"Oh… I see. Well, congratulations."
"Thank you."
"...You are aware of Lyndis's feelings towards you, right?" Kent asked after a moment of awkward silence.
"I'm… I had an inkling." Robin admitted. "So I thought it was better to just get it out of the way right away. If I was wrong, then nothing happens, but if I was on the mark, even if it's painful, we can avoid some misunderstandings in the future."
"I see." Kent sighed. "I suppose that's fair. ...Let me just… ah, here it is. I was given this map when I first started working at the castle… I haven't touched it in a long time though, but it should still be accurate."
"Thanks." Robin nodded. "You've worked hard too. Make sure you get some water. Give me a little time, I assure you we'll have the castle back under our control within the day."
With Lucina…
"See? I told ya. Nothin' to worry 'bout." Brady reassured his friend.
"Well, I know Robin's on my side." Lucina bit her lip. "But I'm still concerned that Lyn would try something. I'm scared that Robin could still be tempted to…"
Her voice began to trail off.
"What? Naw!" Brady scoffed. "Uncle Robin's not like that!"
"Brady? Who do you think looks more attractive? Me or that Lyn girl?"
"Er… what?" Brady needed some time to comprehend Lucina's question.
"You heard me. Who do you think?"
"How can ya even ask me that?" Brady protested. "I've known ya' ever since we were babies! An' yer married to boot! What kind o' bullshit question is that?"
"Give me an answer. I want the truth."
"...Lyn is…" Brady whispered with his gaze towards the ground.
Lucina sighed, as if expecting this answer. "All right… then what about her do you find attractive."
"Er… her hair." Brady admitted. "Long, straight an' silky, not to mention, th' green color's mesmerizin' in it's own way. And t'be honest, her face pretty good lookin' too."
"Yeah that's what I thought…" Lucina grumbled.
"But I still think nothin'll happen. The two of ya 'ill be fine."
"I really hope so too…"
A Short Distance Away…
Lyn, though extremely saddened, was at least able to keep her emotions in check long enough to make sure Robin didn't see that she was upset.
However, there was no way for her to keep all the frustration bottled up inside her forever. Unfortunately for Hector, he was the unlucky guinea pig to receive her wrath.
"Hey, Lyndis, right?" Hector asked as he approached her with Eliwood. "My name is Hector, the younger brother of Marquess Ostia."
"I see." Lyn had a hard expression on her face. "I was watching you fight earlier… He's not like you, Eliwood. He relies so much on power. It's like he's never been…"
"I haven't." Hector shook his head. "I had to teach myself how to fight."
"That's fine, but the way you swing your axe around… you're a threat to your allies!" Lyn exclaimed. "If you don't become more watchful of your surroundings, you'll end up killing a friend one of these days. How can you be so lax about staining your hands in an ally's blood?"
"What did you say?" Hector couldn't believe his ears. "This is the only way I've ever fought, and I've killed dozens of enemies, but not so much as touched a hair on one of my allies."
"Lyndis?" Eliwood asked in concern. "Are you all right? What's come over you?"
Eliwood's words were enough to snap her out of it.
"I'm… I'm sorry. I didn't mean to be so critical. Hector, I apologize. I'm grateful for your help… I really am."
Hector sighed. "It's fine. I know it looks a little wild, but I assure you, I have it under control. I'm glad to lend a hand."
"If you'll excuse me…" Lyn took the chance to run off and find somewhere to be alone.
"She's not normally like that." Eliwood assured his friend. "I think Lyn is just under a lot of stress. She's been chased out of her home after all, and her grandfather was captured by the enemy."
"Yeah that makes sense." Hector nodded. "I'm sure that's it. Still..."
"Still what?"
"You were right. She's a beauty."
"Stop it! You're making fun of me again."
Author's Notes…
No new characters, as all of them are returning ones.
As it turns out, despite moving back on campus, classes haven't started yet. So now, I'm kind of stuck in my room without too much to do, which leaves me more time to do other things (like writing), hence, the rapid post.
I'll try to get another chapter out in the next few days, so be on the lookout for it. As always, thanks for the support, and favorite/follow if you haven't already.