Chapter 8


The sand was cool to the touch as Cherche walked barefoot on the beach. She was wearing a dark, short, backless dress, which fluttered in the regular breezes. She combed her hair back with her hand as one such sea breeze tried to push her hair into her eyes. She looked up at the sunny sky for a moment, appreciating the sun's warmth in the otherwise cool beach.

A splash in the water off the coast made Cherche smile. Minerva didn't bother landing to eat her freshly caught seafood. She flapped her wings rapidly and took off into the air, then tossed a large fish up from her claws. In the blink of an eye, Minerva moved her head under the fish and let it fall into her salivating mouth. After swallowing her snack, she started performing a series of aerial maneuvers, spinning and rolling and testing her abilities.

"You're having fun, Minervykins," Cherche noted quietly to herself as she observed her wyvern partner exercising in the air. Cherche looked back at the beach in front of her, then stopped in her tracks when she saw a large shadow ahead. She shielded her eyes with a hand as she peered into the distance, and saw that the shadow was actually a person in a dark cape, standing on a large rock. Cherche walked quietly in the sand as she came closer, observing the person extending his arm outwards to examine his hand.

"Good morning, Robin. Are your fingernails so interesting?" Cherche asked.

Robin immediately retracted his arm and looked at Cherche. "Cherche! My nails? No, it's… Sometimes when I'm deep in thought, I look at…" Robin then folded his hands behind his back and rocked back and forth. "It's nothing. Good morning to you." He managed to give Cherche a smile. "What brings you out here?"

Cherche took a few slow steps around Robin, tiptoeing over the sand. "I'm just getting a feel of this land. It's quite different from the beach in Rosanne, or the stretch of coast in southern Valm. It's a little brisk, yes, but still pleasant." Cherche stopped walking, closed her eyes, stretched her arms out into the air, and took a deep breath in through her nose. She exhaled through her mouth, then opened her eyes and looked at Robin. "The beach has its charm, no matter which coast you're on." She dropped her arms and placed her hands on her hips as she looked at Robin's clothes, noting the layers, the dark colors, and that he was now wearing gloves. "Aren't you a little hot, coated in black? The sun feels quite warm today. Just a moment ago, I had mistaken you for a shadow, misplaced in this bright beach."

Robin stopped and examined his clothes. "Um… Well… It's my favorite cloak, though. And it is brisk. Aren't you cold? Well, I suppose it's still warmer than most of Regna Ferox. But if you do feel cold, well, I can always lend you this warm and comfortable black coat that you object to so much." Robin glanced at Cherche's feet. "Hmm. Be careful, Cherche. You might want to wear some shoes."

Cherche laughed. "I didn't think you were that interested in fashion." She kicked some sand into the air, then rested her foot in front of her in a pose that accentuated her long legs. "My, my, do you just want to see me wearing the boots you chose for me?" she asked with a wink.

"Boots… Um…" Robin studied Cherche's form for a moment before finally managing to pry his eyes away. "Just be careful," he warned, gazing into the distance in the other direction. "The remains of battle may drift over here, too."

Cherche stepped up onto the rock that Robin was standing on. She stood next to Robin and peered around him. In the distance, there were several specks dotting the coast. She examined them for a few moments before realizing that they were the effects of battle further down the coast. While people had already cleaned up after the battle, there were still some remains that had been missed, or had been taken by the tide and relocated elsewhere on the coast.

Cherche dropped her head, sighed, and shook her head sadly. "War destroys everything. Country. Home. Friends. Even the little moments at the beach."

Robin opened his mouth to speak, but remained silent for a moment. "Not everything. Not if we can help it," he finally commented.

Cherche smiled. "Indeed. I'm glad you included me. I know I'm new to the group."

"Of course, Cherche. You are one of us. I… I hope you never felt otherwise."

"I have felt nothing but welcome arms. The Shepherds are quirky, but fine comrades." She stretched her arms up in the air and breathed in and out again. "So, what is our stoic tactician doing here on this beach, near the crashing waves of the sea?"

"I'm waiting for the Red Council. We're meeting near here to assess the battle's results."

Cherche gave Robin an inquisitive eyebrow raise. "The Red Council," she repeated. "Sounds… ominous."

Robin looked at Cherche's confused face, then chuckled for a moment. "Sorry, it's just the name we made up after observation. It's Cordelia, Miriel, and Anna." Robin saw that Cherche was still puzzled. "Oh, wait, you may not be fully acquainted with them all. Well, see, they all have red hair, so…"

"Hmm," Cherche hummed, tapping a finger on her mouth as she thought. "So you enjoy the company of redheaded women."

Robin gave Cherche a confused face of his own for a moment, before her words settled in his mind. "What? N-no, wait!"

"Don't worry, Robin, I don't judge," Cherche said. "Milord Virion is… Well, I am used to the presence of such characters."

"But I don't want you to use misinformation to… not judge my character. It's… It was just coincidence, their red hair. I meet with them because of their unique skills. Cordelia for logistics, Miriel for innovation, and Anna for finances. They all really help out with all my strategies, and the management of all Ylisse."

"Worry not, Cherche, it's purely business," an authoritative woman's voice said. Cherche and Robin turned to see Cordelia and Miriel walking towards them. "We're just friends."

Robin exhaled slowly. "Friends, right," Robin agreed.

"Hmm. I wasn't worried though," Cherche pointed out. "But thank you for the clarification. I suppose it really doesn't match Robin's character, to have such a… a priority in women."

"After approximately two years of observation, I would conclude that Robin's comportment with the opposite sex remains consistent, regardless of hair color," Miriel reported, briefly readjusting her glasses as she stopped walking.

"Thank you, Miriel," Robin said.

"Though I have noted some anomalies during some uncommon but still accumulating circumstances, such as-"

"That won't be necessary, Miriel," Robin interrupted, waving his hands at Miriel to tell her to stop.

"Hmm." Cordelia gave Robin an inquisitive look. "I'm a little curious myself, but yes, let's let it drop."

"Very well," Miriel said.

"So Cherche, why are you here?" Cordelia asked. "We're… We're not interrupting anything, are we?" Cordelia placed her hands on Miriel's shoulders. "We can convene at a different time, if you'd like. Anna isn't here after all."

"You're not interrupting anything," Robin pointed out.

"Yes, I was just out for a walk and I saw our pensive tactician looking out to the sea. Like a poet in search of inspiration."

"Robin, were you out creating beauty in writing again?" Cordelia asked with a grin. "You were always an artist in drawings and writings."

"I was?" Robin asked, his eyes darting back and forth in confusion for a moment.

"Cordelia, do you have sufficient evidence to ba-ahem." Cordelia's subtle but effective nudge interrupted Miriel's query.

"Oh, so you dabble in poetry?" Cherche asked, making Cordelia's smile grow and Robin's eyes dart around again.

"I mean, um, I wouldn't call myself a master or anything…"

"Milord Virion also enjoys occasionally… Well, all of you must have heard the way he talks. Both words and actions are poetry to him. If you have any works, I'd love to read them. Perhaps they'll be a refreshing difference from Virion's particular… genre. Or style."

"Um, well…"

"Hey guys!" Anna came running up to join them. "Sorry, I'm late. Oh, and Cherche, hello."

"Hello, Anna."

"Cherche, why, I absolutely love your outfit! It shouts out, 'I am a woman, I am strong, I am beautiful.' It's marvelous," Anna complimented.

"That's so nice of you to say, Anna, thank you."

"Yes, you look great in it, Cherche," Cordelia said.

"Cherche, before we begin our meeting," Anna began, her energy building up as a sales pitch formed in her head, "I just wanted to point out that I have some excellent shoes in stock that would compliment your outfit so well. Even the cool tacticians in your life will have to acknowledge how beautiful you are."

"Whatever," Robin said, looking away from the group. "Cherche is beautiful, regardless of the clothes she wears."

Cordelia gasped. Cherche giggled. "Hah. Robin, you are just a sweet talker. I'm sure you say that to everyone," Cherche said.

"Hmm." Miriel was observing the group's interactions with interest. "Another anomaly detected," Miriel noted quietly.

"He's never said that to me," Cordelia pointed out. She leaned in closer to Cherche and whispered, "I bet if Robin were to look at you for just a few seconds straight, his face would turn so red, he'd be a proper member of the Red Council."

"Oh, my," Cherche responded. "Well, I hate to break it to you, Anna, but I already have a perfect fit to these clothes. Actually, my matching shoes were provided by a certain cool tactician, and even without it, I guess he still can't help but acknowledge how beautiful I am."

"All right, all right, perhaps we should begin our meeting," Robin said, turning back towards the group, but still finding a random spot in the background to look at. "Cherche, you are welcome to join us. It might give you more idea of how we work, or what the situation is, and you might have some valuable input from your perspective and experiences in Valm."

"And if you're feeling cold, Cherche, I have a lovely jacket that would fit you perfectly," Anna said.

"Actually, Robin has offered me his cloak if I feel cold."

"Robin, your precious cloak? You dashing gentleman!" Cordelia exclaimed. Robin scratched the back of his head.

"And as for joining or observing your council, I will refrain as well. Perhaps another time, but Minerva is getting a little tired. I don't want her to go back by herself."

"Minerva?" Cordelia asked, looking around.

The wyvern landed a moment later, causing wind to push through the group and make the unexpected people jump or shiver. Minerva shrieked a greeting, then looked at Cherche and the rest of the group intently.

"Aw, Minervykins, I know, you just need to wait a little after a snack before you go flying around like that," Cherche said, jumping down from the rock and walking up to Minerva.

Minerva snorted, then opened her mouth slightly to let a bag fall to the ground. Cherche picked up the bag and opened it.

"Aw, thank you so much!" Cherche exclaimed. She then hopped up onto Minerva's back and started wiping her legs with a towel. Afterwards, she reached into the bag and took out the boots that Robin had chosen. She extended a leg into the air and started slowly and carefully putting her boots on.

Cordelia nudged Robin. "Shall we begin, or would you like to observe for a few more moments?"

"Cordelia… I almost feel like you're acting more interested than I am."

"I am finding all of these interactions to be most interesting," Miriel said.

"Robin, you just had to show my products up with your gentlemanliness." Anna crossed her arms and pouted. "Hmph."

"Have a productive council!" Cherche called from atop Minerva's back. She waved as Minerva started to ascend.

"Good to see you!" Cordelia shouted over the sound of Minerva's flapping wings.

"Yes, we will see you again at our next briefing!" Robin said.

Cherche flashed the group one more smile, then looked forward. "Come on, Minerva."

They were flying for some time. After they were some distance from the group, Minerva shrieked.

"Hah. They are an interesting bunch. I really hope you get along with them," Cherche said to Minerva, massaging the back of the wyvern's neck. Minerva shrieked again in response. "Yes, I know. I wouldn't use the word delicious, though. How about charming? Doesn't that word work better?" Minerva shrieked once again. Cherche laughed. "Yes, I can agree with that. I think I would like to get to know him more, too."


A/N Here's a short one. But I remember that back in the day, I liked updating this story because I was making shorter chapters. Sorry, it's been so long since I've updated anything. I got a Nintendo Switch and have been playing Zelda, and it is soooooooo aweeeeesommmmmme. And before that, the school year began and work and tiredness = no update for a while. Just ideas that have only been fleshed out now.

I hope to update To Love a Memory and Convictions. ...And I've seen some interest in Searching for an Olive Branch, so maybe I'll get back to that too.

Rac95, thank you for keeping up! I also appreciate the more detailed compliments.

Draen, thank you for your comments! Yeah, after re-reading, I suppose maybe Sumia was too clingy. I'll try not to make her so clingy-ish. I just wanted to show that they're in love, and maybe I went overboard. I may have actually tweaked it a bit since you posted. I'm not sure (ugh, it's been so long). With Maribelle, eh, I wanted to hint that maybe there's lingering affection? They are good friends, but she at least at some point was attracted to him in more than just friends.

Antex-The Legendary Zoroark, thanks for starting this story, too! I hope you continue, and that it be good. I'll update my other stuff too sometime, so don't give up on those either.

Anyhoo, thank you, everyone, for reading! Please continue to read, review, follow, favorite, tell other people, and/or PM me if you like.

EDIT: And Draen, thanks for the fast comment. Hopefully I fixed stuff that you found.