After the reunion week—with them celebrating Robin's birthday on the last day, as Chrom said that the reunion had a grim start and deserved a cheerful end—everyone that didn't already live at the castle went home. The reunions were always refreshing; a change of pace and a chance to catch up with anyone that, for one reason or another, she couldn't see often.
It was a week and a few days later when Lucina was in the training area with Chrom, practicing some skills. At some point while they were resting, he said, "We might know what your second mission would be."
Lucina looked at him. "A tentative choice, I take it?"
"We're still trying to decide on it," Chrom replied. "Your mother has some concerns, but we got a letter from the Feroxi khans asking if me, your mother, Lissa, and Frederick would head up to Regna Ferox to deal with some thieves. The problem of us going is that your mother and I have to make up for what we didn't do over the reunion, and there's little sense in sending Lissa and Frederick without us. We figured that you kids could go up to Ferox and fend them off instead, but then comes the matter that you're the only one that's been to Ferox—and Feroxi thieves might be hard for a first attempt. We might send friends to go up instead, but I'd still like for you guys to handle it if you can."
"I could see what some of the others think of it?" Lucina offered.
"I don't want to get anyone's hopes up," Chrom said as he stood up again. "We'll figure it out by the end of the week—if there aren't a lot of people willing to let you go, then I might be able to compromise."
Lucina nodded and stood up as well. They continued training—eventually joined by Morgan, who ended up becoming the focus instead because he needed the practice more than Lucina—until dinner. At the end of the week, as promised, Robin took Lucina and Morgan into the tactics room to discuss it, with the map of the continent spread out and a few chess-like pieces on the table.
"You have two options," Robin told them. "And we already have something decided if you can't choose." So they can visualize it, she put a little chess piece on a town to the west of Ylisstol. "You can go here for your mission; there's a town that needs some supplies, but it isn't urgent and they've said that they can hold out for another month or two with rations being brought in through hired work. It's not a permanent solution, but it'll probably be where we send you next month if it's not what you want to do now. Or…" She put a piece in a Feroxi town. "Lucina, I think you were already told? We got a letter from Basilio, specifically, that says there are bandits in a Feroxi town. I can't figure out why he'd tell us, but it's an option. You'll have to wait another few days before you head out—and it would be better if you all meet up at the Shepherds' garrison, since it would save a few days."
"Personally," Morgan said after a little bit of thought, "I'd like to go to Regna Ferox—but I know that I won't be able to help much if we're fighting people, other than telling others what to do."
"There will be other opportunities to leave Ylisse; I can almost guarantee it," Robin assured him. "But if you want to go, we can always send Frederick or Lissa with you—we'll need to anyway, so you have a guide. Both of them could help if you ran into trouble."
"That sounds reasonable to me," Lucina said. "If the town can handle things for now, I believe it would be better to promise that aid will come to them soon and head to Ferox this month."
Robin looked at Morgan for his opinion, and he nodded. "We can go with Aunt Lissa," he reasoned. "Then—and not that I don't trust Brady, but—if she comes with us all the way, she can help if we get hurt."
"It's decided, then," Robin said. "We'll let Basilio know, and I can send word to the rest of your group." She stood up, adding to Morgan, "If Noire and Tharja are still here, can you tell them that you'll be leaving in a few more days? I need to get work done, and Tharja won't stay if Noire has no one to talk to." She looked at Lucina and continued, "And can you tell Lissa? She offered, so she shouldn't mind much."
Morgan nodded and went off to do his part, and Lucina stood up to do hers. Lissa was generally wandering it seemed, and was glad to hear that they were going to go to Ferox–Lissa herself going as well. Unsurprisingly, Owain was not exactly pleased to hear that his mother was coming with them.
"Why am I stuck with the parent?" Owain complained.
"'Cause Lissa's the only one available," Morgan pointed out. He gave Owain a teasing smile. "Unless you'd prefer Frederick?"
"Gods, no," Owain replied immediately. "He'd make us tiny houses just for one night and wouldn't let us do anything."
"He's not that bad!" Lissa said. "He was more like 'oh, Princess, bugs are a natural trial!"—when wewere Shepherds, anyway."
"Mom, I've heard stories," Owain replied simply. "He picked up pebbles so no one will trip. If he did that for you, he'll definitely do it to us!"
"So stop complaining and be happy!" Lissa retorted, putting on a little theatrical show. "Gosh, Owain, you'd think you didn't want to spend time with your mother!"
It was admittedly a bit hard for Lucina to keep a straight face as it got more absurd. Owain's protests eventually subsided when Lissa started to get genuinely impatient, and after about two days of preparation they headed out to the Shepherds' garrison. Once everyone was there, Lissa promised that she wouldn't tease her family more than she already had and they continued on their way.
(A/N: If this causes inconsistencies in A Mini Shepherd's Promise, I apologize. I decided this would be more reasonable than the original situation–that and this chapter was hard to write. This'll be a short arc.)