Helloooo! I've got a few weeks off for vacation, but I still have my thesis. I had to replace my tablet and I got some feedback from professionals in the industry/sinodales (what the heck is the English word for that) who said they really like the simplicity of the narrative, but I need to do a far amount of background art tweaks to get better visual results. At least I don't have to change the lineart! And my birthday is coming up on the 19th, but that extra money was used for the tablet replacement…so idk how to broach the subject of Switch accessories hahaha.

I'm just glad I was finally able to get this out, and I want to thank the fantastic newmrsdewinter for her lightning fast editing skills and for generally being a huge delight to work with.

The first thing Frederick did upon Chrom's announcement was to order an immediate checklist of their inventory for the upcoming journey. The border to Regna Ferox was a very long trip north, almost comparable to the flight from Plegia, and the only way they would make it there and back in time for the celebrations was if they constantly switched horses and packed efficiently, he said.

"Now everyone get to it!" the knight barked sternly. "I'll not have tantrums on my watch simply because some fool decided to gather up their supplies at the last minute or because they're too stubborn to part with useless trinkets."

He shot a meaningful look at Vaike and Maribelle during those final words, and the noblewoman turned bright red with an indignant splutter. Vaike, in turn, brushed off the reproach with a cheery assertion of his responsibility.

"He'll be begging us to help him find his axe right before setting off," Ricken said, snickering behind his hand as the Shepherds filed out of the barracks.

Robin was unsure of where to start. Most of hers and Henry's belongings were currently rotting at the bottom of a gorge in Plegia. The castle had issued them some fairly standard clothes and shoes, but they were hardly suitable for travelling up to the frigid north.

She read through her copy of the list Frederick had prepared for the occasion:

Pair leather gloves, waterproofed

Pair leather boots, waterproofed

Drinking skin, min. 1 pint capacity, max. 3 pint

Map, acceptable copies available from royal library

Pair regulation hunting knife

2 pairs wool undershirt

2 pairs wool smallclothes

2 pairs wool socks

All-purpose weather coat

Oilskin coat

FURS AND COATS AVAILABLE AT THIRD NORTHROAD STOP. ONE SMALL BOOK ALLOWED PER PERSON. CLOTHING IN BRIGHT COLOURS IS UNACCEPTABLE. JEWELLERY, SCENTS, AND COSMETICS WILL BE CONFISCATED IF FOUND.

"What's the Northroad?" Robin mused as she lounged on her thin cot in the barracks' storage room—well, now hers and Henry's for the time being.

Henry laughed. "It's the road going north, duh."

"Obviously." Robin rolled her eyes. "I'm just asking what makes a road north the 'Northroad,' if it apparently has stops for us to get furs at."

Henry moved in his cot to face her, chin resting on hand, as his foot bounced restlessly in place. "Well, Ricken told me earlier that Regna Ferox is good friends with Ylisse, yeah? So they've got this huge road going from Ylistoll all the way up to the border. And since there's a lot of people who want to go between Ylisse and Regna Ferox, there's like, this chain of towns and inns and stores and mail service and stuff to make it easier to travel."

Humming noncommittally, Robin felt irritable and cranky all of a sudden. She turned a deaf ear to Henry's excited comments about the journey, sightseeing, the food they would try, how many Risen they would encounter, whether Sumia would go on a pegasus or not—

It took all her inner strength not to growl at him to be quiet. They had barely spent a month in Ylisstol; going back on the road was not high on her list of priorities, not after an entire winter of crossing Plegia. And already Henry was feeling excited over travelling again?

"It's gonna be so much fun!" he gushed.

Robin smiled thinly. "Yeah. Sounds like it."

Henry gave no indication of acknowledging her shift in mood, continuing to prattle on about their travel plans and if Frederick would allow them to bring Neferi along.

If he's so thrilled, she thought, then maybe he should just go off and I'll stay back here.

But then she felt very anxious and unsure. Staying behind meant spending time without Henry. Staying behind meant having to be alone again without a confidante to watch her back, without someone to rely on in a strange new environment, navigating an unknown castle in a potentially hostile country all by herself.

Robin was unsure of what scared her more: being alone, or being surrounded by Ylisseans…Ylisseans who had no clue as to her true identity or her reasons for leaving Plegia, but were certainly suspicious enough to have her interrogated.

And so, like the coward she was, she gave in to her fear of facing her problems by herself and approached Chrom after supper under the ostensible desire of joining the expedition North.

"I'm glad to hear that!" His grin was so wide that Robin could see practically every single one of his teeth. "We could really use your talents against those Risen—and, well, what better way to get acquainted with Shepherd duties?"

"Yeah, I can't wait," she lied.

Robin tried to convince herself that she was doing it because the Risen needed to be eradicated; because people needed help and she was one of the few who had the necessary knowledge to successfully defeat the new threat that had been released within Ylissean territory. But it was hard to keep the pretense up, even though no one knew of her inner turmoil, as fear, not altruism, was her prime motivator.

"Is everyone set?" Chrom called out to the Shepherds (currently Lissa, Frederick, Stahl, Vaike, Libra, Miriel, Sumia and Kellam; Robin and Henry were coming along, but everyone else declined to come) and additional troops Emmeryn lent him as they massed at the castle's secondary gate.

Everyone chorused back in the affirmative as the horses and wagons lined up dutifully behind him, the sound of hooves clacking loudly on stone. With a loud blast from a horn, the company set out on their journey to Regna Ferox.

The back of Ylisstol was farmland belonging to the city that soon gave way to thickly forested terrain. Birdsong and the occasional call from a buck was constant, and they had some difficulty ensuring the smooth passage of their supply wagons, loaded as they were. Thankfully, they left the forest without further incidents and continued following the river that flowed from Southtown until its end.

The Northroad began from there: a well-paved highway bustling with horses, oxen carts, and people travelling on foot. Everyone parted respectfully at the sight of Shepherds and the Exalt's army. Chrom, polite and amiable as he was, understood the necessity of their mission and kept everyone riding at a brisk trot. They switched horses on their second day of travel at a well to-do market town equipped with stables for the crown's use, but still pitched camp and slept in the fields. On the third day, they arrived at Redwall, a prosperous small city that enriched itself through the fur trade, and as a key point of commerce between Regna Ferox, Ylisstol, and eastern Ylisse. Lissa was more than happy to know they would be spending the night at an inn and even took it upon herself to do most of the shopping to restock their supplies.

"Milady," an exasperated Frederick exclaimed as he trailed after her. "You mustn't distract yourself with nonsense and baubles. Remember that only the necessities should be purchased, as souvenirs can be procured at another—"

"Yes, yes, I know, Fred, don't you worry! I'll be back in no time at all," the princess replied breezily as she practically skipped her way to the market.

But Frederick did have a reason to worry, judging by the scowl that befell him as Vaike and Henry volunteered to accompany her on what looked like the beginnings of a rather exciting shopping trip. He was hot on their heels with a lecture ready on his lips.

"You don't want to go with Henry? It looks like it's going to be a lot of fun!" Chrom's smile was always a welcome sight, and his suggestion was obviously said with the best of intentions, but all it did was irritate Robin to the point of having to bite her tongue.

"No, thank you," she mumbled.

The prince's face fell slightly. He could tell something was off, despite the robe muffling her words, but he had the sense not to prod further than simply asking if she was ill.

His kindness made Robin even more conscious of her sour mood and she actually started feeling a bit sick to her stomach.

"I…I think it's best if I turn in early." She hated how whispery thin her voice sounded.

Chrom's lips twisted sympathetically, and though he refrained from touching her, Robin could spot a tell-tale twitch in his hands as he let them rest at his sides, watching as she started to make her way up the stairs to their rooms. "You let me know if you need anything, alright? I can ask the hostess to send you something if you're still off sorts, or Lissa can check on you later."

"Thank you very much," was her unintentionally curt response.

Robin was exhausted as she entered the room she was sharing with Henry. It was a quaint little thing decorated in charming reds and browns and creams, and carved wooden details of forest creatures and berries. She couldn't care less about appreciating the aesthetics of their lodgings as she flopped facedown on the bed.

Someone moody, a familiar voice teased from the back of her head. Someone awful crabby and pinchy and grouchy today.

Heat rose in Robin's cheeks and inflamed her face. Someone, she shot back, needs to mind their own damn business.

Oho, touchy, touchy. Methinks pep talk needed!

Look who's chatty all of a sudden. A month of total silence and now you want to have a conversation?

Its pause gave her some respite, some time to breathe, as her anger started to settle in. It made Robin's head ache, but it also drew out the grievances she had been wanting to express for some time now: the robe had been deliberately ignoring her and staying quiet ever since their arrival in Ylisstol, but had babbled nonstop in her mind once on the road again; Sully and some other Shepherds were giving her a wide berth and whispering behind her back, not to mention the looks and mutters she got on the Northroad when other travellers spotted her clothes; and she was still very scared and distressed over being in Ylisse. She got quite a few strange looks when her inner conversations with the robe sometimes meant she spoke aloud to herself.

Worse still was the mortifying realisation that she was intensely jealous of Henry. While Robin was wallowing in her own self-pity and woes, Henry was doing a remarkable job adapting to their strange new environment. Though he was no favourite of Sully's, he had quickly become friends with Ricken, the young mage who stayed behind in Ylisstol to direct festival preparations. Stahl sought Henry out frequently and his daughter Severa seemed to enjoy being in his care. He had even started spending time with Sumia, accompanying her a few times to the pegasi stables and watching her train with Cordelia.

Robin had told him that it was fine to ride off and join the others while travelling, but that was an enormous lie. She felt excruciatingly possessive as she watched them from afar. Excluded. And yet Robin could not bring herself to take the first step and get to know them better, as Henry was doing.

Even Chrom, sweet, friendly Chrom, was the one who approached her, and not the other way around.

Well there have you, the robe said obnoxiously. You see problem. You see solve. Get off bottom and start doing change.

She tasted bile at the back of her throat. The heat in her face started to crawl behind her ears and neck, prickly and sweaty and unwelcome. And when she spoke, all that sharp thorniness came out in her words. Don't patronise me. It's not that simple.

You just scared of try.

Well thank you for that most illuminating observation, you're an absolute genius! Are there any more obvious things you'd like to point out to me? Is the sky blue? Is grass green? Do I have five fingers on each hand, and is three by three still nine?

Rude. Pinchiness not helping.

Don't talk to me about helpfulness and being rude when I've had to put up with your constant blabbering and cussing back in Plegia—all you're doing is being a nuisance! If I'd have asked for advice, I wouldn't want it from some cryptic, glorified coat who only seems to be around during the most inconvenient moments and yet mysteriously absent when actually needed. You try putting yourself in my shoes and then we'll see how easy it goes for you, you stupid useless robe!

Though Robin knew she was being unnecessarily difficult, she took a perverse sort of pleasure in telling the robe off. Its month-long quiet confused and distressed her; she thought something had gone wrong, or it had gotten damaged during the forest battle, and all her attempts at summoning its voice had proved fruitless so far…until the Shepherds left Ylisstol with her in tow. Suddenly, it was back to chattering in her ear as though nothing had happened. And that proved to be deeply upsetting to Robin.

Unfortunately, her words seemed to have touched more than a few of the robe's nerves too…when it replied, its odd, disembodied voice was loaded with venom.

When stupid, useless girl done moping over inconsequence thing, it murmured in her ear, then maybe worry over important, like Mustafa back in Plegia.

Robin flung it off her and onto the floor. The rest of the night was spent trying to ignore her massive headache and the sound of the Shepherds enjoying themselves in the inn's tavern.

There was no real wall surrounding Redwall, as its name implied—rather, an explosion of red heather bloomed before them as they continued their way up the Northroad. Chrom said that one of his favourite things to do as a child was to run around and explore the moors on the few occasions he snuck out of Ylisstol. The royal family had numerous estates across the Halidom, but he much preferred the mystery and excitement of the heath, the forests around the capital, and the rolling hills of Themis, a southwestern region bordering a large chunk of Plegia and containing settlements such as Southtown.

"You'll learn all of this in good time," Chrom assured Robin as they rode. "I know Frederick was a pain during that first month, but you'll be able to relax once we get back. And you've already seen the castle's library and met its Shepherd bookworm!"

Robin glanced back to the supply convoy, where Miriel was riding. There was, of course, significant concern over a pregnant woman volunteering to come on an exterminatory expedition, but the bespectacled mage insisted on accompanying them north.

"I must admit that my temporary leave of absence from Shepherding duties has left me somewhat in want of movement, but fear not. The alpine atmosphere and an opportunity to engage in travel will prove to be most propitious for the development of my brood. Additionally, you have mentioned that fire is an effective weapon against these creatures, and I would take the opportunity to remind our company that, as of this moment, I am the most accomplished of our mages on the subject of handling incendiary magic." Miriel, verbose as ever, had told them this when everyone settled down for a quick meal.

Lissa had been surprisingly efficient in Redwall. She did indeed spend her money on useful things, to Frederick's astonishment—they were currently feasting on excellently smoked winter venison and a hearty ale. The princess had also made sure to procure furs for those who needed to replace their old ones or simply had none. Henry was very happy with a grey wolfskin he picked when shopping with her, and Robin was also gifted a lovely soft white wolf's pelt among other clothes.

(Once she even discarded the robe in her mokeskin bag and wore her new furs in a fit of pique)

"I had to guess at your size, sorry," Lissa admitted. "But we can always alter whatever doesn't fit! Emm has the best tailors in Ylisstol on call."

Robin's guilt only increased the more she dwelled on thoughts of the Shepherds (which was practically all the time). She had been nothing but moody and sulky for the past two weeks, keeping to herself, and staring holes into the back of Henry's head as he chummed around with his new friends. Sumia in particular was receiving most of his attention. The young Pegasus Knight seemed to be rather flattered by his interest in her line of work and patiently fielded his questions and talkativeness. And despite Henry's cheerfully morbid jokes, Sumia seemed to have gotten over her initial shock and took them fairly in stride.

While Robin was somewhat relieved that the robe was still too angry with her to engage in its usual stream of inane dialogue, it only made her more aware, more self-conscious, of just how lonely she felt. Isolating herself was one of the last things she wanted to do…but the very thought of approaching others and opening herself up to them was equally terrifying. She had no clue of where to start, especially not with people who already distrusted her from the get-go. She spied Sully out of the corner of her eye talking rather furtively to Frederick and the knot in her throat only grew tighter.

Then start with Sumia, Robin tried to tell herself. Henry likes her. And she was nice to you.

But the fear was too much for her to handle. It paralysed her thinking and even her movements. So, like a coward, she stayed quiet, and stewed in her silent jealousy and dejection as she watched Henry laugh at one of his own jokes again. She did quite a lot of stewing once they were riding again, and the robe's occasional rude comments about it—not that she wanted to speak to it—were of no help.

"Hey," a brusque voice sounded from her right.

It was Sully. The redhead looked peeved and uncomfortable as she rode next to Robin on her white stallion, an ill-tempered brute who had proven just as much a terror to allies as it did foes. Robin recalled Vaike being the frequent victim of a few attempted bites. But what on earth was Sully, of all people, doing there? Did she need anything? Was she going to ask her a question? Robin considered that perhaps she wanted to chat, but then immediately discarded that possibility because, well, it was Sully—what could she possibly want to chat about? They had nothing in common as far as Robin knew, not to mention the antagonism she had been subjected to since their meeting in the first battle against Risen.

What if she had come over to say something spiteful and mean?

Robin was so caught up in her paranoia that all she could do was gape uselessly in Sully's direction, totally silent. The two women rode along in that tense, uncomfortable quiet before Sully retreated back to her original position with a soft scoff.

"Look, I tried," Robin heard her say to Chrom. "So stop givin' me grief about it."

And so a fresh wave of guilt washed over Robin and wrapped her further into a horrid little nest of self-loathing. She still kept herself apart from the others for the rest of the month. Henry was concerned, of course, as were Chrom and Lissa, but there was really little they could do when Robin was too caught up in her own negativity.

However, they were not so easily deterred.

"There was some extra soup leftover," Chrom announced as he approached her one night during supper. He also had a thick blanket from the supply convoy in his other arm, and he draped it over Robin before pressing a tin cup full of broth into her hand, ignoring her protests.

She gave up trying to dissuade him. Then she blew slightly on the steaming liquid. It smelled quite appetising. "T…thanks."

He was merciful enough to give her a few moments to adjust to his presence. The distant sound of laughter and cutlery scraping across tin was heard over the usual noise of the night, small insects buzzing in the grass and the occasional owl. It was strangely peaceful despite the nature of their mission, and, just when Robin was beginning to relax, Chrom had to go and ruin it by bringing up her past month's worth of antisocial behaviour.

"Is everything alright? You've been out of sorts since we set off," he tried to comment casually.

Stiffening up, Robin started to curl into a little ball, all tight and suddenly sporting a stomachful of gnawing annoyance. "Everything's fine."

Anyone with half a brain could see just how bad of an excuse that was, yet Chrom was exceedingly patient as he tried to coax her out of her mood. "It hasn't really seemed like it lately," he said. "You know, you can tell us anything."

No I can't, Robin thought bitterly. The past half year of her life rushed into her head all at once, and sour saliva filled her mouth. The prince's kindness was apparent since they first met; his sister was just as sweet, and the other Shepherds, as suspiciously as some behaved, were at least quite reliable when it came to their duties. But how could they possibly understand what she had gone through? How could they fathom the fear she lived with, the façade she had to put up under constant scrutiny, the sheer terror of having to flee her own father's advances? Validar commanded an endless amount of resources as the Grimleal's head. He pulled strings throughout the entirety of Plegia and had a puppet sitting comfortably on its throne as Gangrel's consort.

And he was desperate enough to get her back that he was employing bloodthirsty bandits and dark magic—the very progenitor of the creatures the Shepherds were currently travelling to eliminate—to do so.

"Is it…" Chrom's voice dropped low, "…that time of the month?"

Robin's mouth opened in quiet astonishment at such tactlessness.

Maybe my bleeding could help explain why I'm feeling like this—ah, wait, don't justify him! And it's not like blood turns me into some joyless, moody nag. It's just been a long few months is all!

Tactless though he was, brainless he was not. Chrom had the sense to realise his mistake and turned a bright beet red as he stammered out an apology. "I—I'm SO sorry, I wasn't really thinking that through, was I? I'll—I'll just go now before I make it worse—"

Robin's hand shot out to grab the hem of his cape as he was getting up to leave.

Why on earth did I do that? she thought, baffled.

Crickets answered he as he stared back, totally bemused, but sat down again and waited for her to say something.

He really was remarkably patient, Robin marvelled, as she struggled to find the appropriate words for such an awkward situation. She had no intention of spilling her entire life's story to him (nor to any other Ylissean), and especially not after he asked her, point blank, if she was on her menses.

And yet…she had to admit that Chrom's attention was reassuring. She had been feeling very lonely as of late, though it was mostly her fault, and the fact that he cared enough to check up on her despite her poor mood was certainly more proof of his kind nature.

The guilt came back a hundredfold and the words just started rushing out.

"I'm the one who should be apologising. I…I know I've been acting out since we left the castle, and…" Robin cut herself off with a heavy sigh and looked off to the side, embarrassed.

Chrom tentatively reached out to pat her shoulder, respectfully moving his hand back to his side when he noticed the slight increase in her body's tension. "Everyone's been worried about you—Henry said it was good to let you have some space, and he wanted to be the one to come and talk to you, but I said I'd do it."

A brief flash of irritation cut through Robin, and she was tempted to roll her eyes at the mention of 'everyone.' Sully certainly did not come to mind, but she bit her tongue and listened respectfully as Chrom continued.

(She was torn between feeling touched that Henry wanted to come to her and peeved that he was still back with the others at the fire)

"I know it hasn't been the easiest for you here. It's a lot to take in, and we've only known each other for a short while. Gods know I can get all broody at times," he chuckled, but then cleared his throat when he noticed Robin's scowl under her hood. "But it's not healthy to keep all your worries bottled up. All it does is gain pressure and—" Chrom made an exploding sound with his mouth and spread his arms out in demonstration.

Robin raised her eyebrow and merely leaned back into the grass with a sigh. "I just don't know what to do at this point. It…really is a lot."

A brief flash in the sky alerted them to a shooting star's presence; the Shepherds oohed and ahhed, and there were some exclamations about wish making and fortune telling for what the new year held in store now that the festival was coming to Ylisstol. The robe's spiteful words reminded Robin of Mustafa's stories, of how he would tell her and Henry of the celestial boar and her heavenly star-milk before going to sleep. Was he safe? Did Validar suspect his involvement in helping his former charges escape? A deep heartache for Mustafa seized her, an ache for him and the idyllic life they led together before Validar's summons led to it all coming crashing down violently. She really had been selfish for not thinking of him sooner.

Why couldn't things stay like they were back then?

The grass rustled as Chrom lay down next to Robin, though she faced the other way so as to keep him from hearing her sniffles. Not that it probably did much good anyways.

"Well, we did make you a Shepherd for a reason. And right now, we're heading up north so we can see you put your many talents to good use and help us rid Ylisse—and Ferox—of dangerous creatures that pose a threat to everyone's safety. We can start from there and worry about the rest later. It's easier to take what you have to do and just break it down into smaller pieces instead of needlessly stressing yourself out over the big picture all the time." Chrom readjusted himself to cross his arms behind his head.

He had quite a high level of insight for someone who had a knack for putting his foot in his mouth, Robin realised, remembering their conversation after their first encounter with Risen. "Yeah. I guess you're right."

They stargazed in companionable silence, a soft wind murmuring through the heather and the grass, until the sound of supper winding down roused Chrom and prompted him to sit up. He looked down at her. Robin could spy his hand twitching, and something about it made her Brand pulse strongly.

"Feeling a little better now?" he asked gently.

"Much," she replied, and she was pleasantly surprised that it was true. "Thank you, as always."

"I'll always be here if you need anything. I don't expect you to tell me everything, but it'd be better for everyone, especially yourself, if you don't bottle things up," he continued with a smile. "You're a Shepherd now! And a Shepherd's duty is to look out for others—even each other."

He was such a strange young man, Robin mused to herself as she watched him head back towards the campfire. He was so willing to go the extra mile to befriend a stranger, look after her, and she was being rather ungrateful about it.

She still had no intention of sharing the truth of her origins to them. Kind as they were now, they were no strangers to conflict themselves—something she had selfishly overlooked whilst moping over her own circumstances—and especially not with Plegians. Emmeryn's smiling face came to mind, and her missing leg, and the bad blood that had broiled between their nations until it bubbled over into two wars in the last thirty years. They were caring towards Robin the amnesiac. Robin the mysterious warrior who somehow had a knack for strategy and knowledge of the deadly Risen that had begun appearing all over Ylisse. Would that hold true for Robin the Plegian?

Robin the Vessel of Grima?

No, it wouldn't, she concluded sadly, as she kept her eyes on the shimmering stars. It was too great a risk to dwell on. Wars had been fought over the faiths of the great dragons, and blood had been spilt in many an attempt to claim dominance of the continent. Should they ever discover her true identity…no, she did not want to give it any more thought than necessary.

But Robin craved her newfound safety and shelter. Escaping from Plegia had been a harrowing, dangerous experience; while she fully anticipated leaving Ylisse any moment now, it was quite a relief to have food and clothes on her back and a room (well, what could be called one anyway) waiting for her back in Ylisstol. And what of Henry? His needs had to be considered as well. Though he almost always had a cheery smile on his face, seeing him making friends and genuinely enjoying himself made Robin realise her self-centredness. She had to take care of him just as he had for their entire journey, for the entire time they had known each other even, and think of what was best for the both of them.

And right now, that would be the security afforded to them by the Shepherds.

So she decided that, at least for the duration of their stay, Robin would keep up their façade. Her true self would be locked up in a little cage, never to take flight no matter how much she wanted to, lest she risk exposing herself and Henry to serious repercussions.

It was for the best. But at least she would allow herself to pretend that these new bonds would last.

Going farther north meant the ground became tougher and scrubbier, and everyone donned their furs in anticipation for the much greater cold that awaited. Lissa explained that Regna Ferox's location meant spring came later, and its summers were brief, lusty affairs that left the air sticky with wet heat and its terrain covered in a rainbow of wildflowers.

"Khan Basilio told us that's not the case for every part of Ferox though," the princess explained matter-of-factly as they rode. "Even farther north, it's so cold that it's always snowing. During winter, they get no sun at all, so it's always night."

"Sounds bleak! Maybe we oughta arrange a visit!" Henry cackled.

Chrom stopped them at a large village that marked the final Ylissean settlement before reaching the Feroxi border. The villagers received them graciously enough, but with a relieved sort of fearfulness as they described the violent disappearances of some of their heads of cattle. They recalled hearing eerie, inhuman howls coming from the thick forest at night, the distressed reactions of their livestock if they came too close to it, and the strange, glowing red lights they sometimes glimpsed between the trees.

"Sounds like Risen alright," he announced grimly. "Shepherds! Stick closely to Robin's instructions. She knows what to do and we need to pay attention."

Robin had prepared a lecture for Chrom's forces in a small schoolhouse the villagers had vacated for their use. The sound of chalk scratching on the board as she drew her notes and diagrams was oddly soothing to her. "The most important part of our strategy is to fight in pairs and use the terrain to our advantage. Risen are highly aggressive and a single fighter isn't enough to bring one down. Pairs and teams guarantee safety in numbers and a variety of tactics to use: playing simultaneous defense and offense, creating physical barriers that can stall them long enough to get in a few hits, and tripping them up on uneven ground. As you can see, there's an area where the treeline thins out enough to reveal a small field that leads to the river separating Ylisse from Regna Ferox. Our best bet is to draw them out from the forest and trap them with fire in that field. If that doesn't work out, then our next plan is to push them towards the water and then set the banks on fire."

Stahl raised his hand. "And if that doesn't work?"

"That would mean having to bring out some long-range weaponry to keep pushing them."

And so Robin found herself helping to supervise the setup of some small ballistae that were apparently part of their supplies, with the villagers volunteering the use of their hay and oil stores for flaming projectiles. She organised their placement at the edge of the field and divided the Shepherds into teams of pairs along with them: Stahl and Henry next to Frederick and Sumia; Sully and Lissa backing three soldiers; Libra blessing everyone's weapons as best as he could whilst Kellam followed; and Vaike guarding Miriel as she helped Robin to place some oiled rope in a perimeter around the field.

Then they waited for the sun to set to ensure the villagers were all safely inside their homes. As soon as the sky started darkening, Robin sent out a man with their bait of ox blood to splash on the ground facing the forest.

The robe began to hum and buzz again, always a reliable indicator of great danger. She did not want to open her Eyes this time as she was shoring up her energy for later.

Almost immediately, a chorus of howls erupted from within the trees, prompting the birds hiding in them to take flight as the Risen stalked out.

Chrom swore under his breath. They counted fifteen in total, with undead lancers, swordsmen, and axe units in their ranks. Worse was the glint of good quality steel weapons clutched in their decayed hands as they sniffed out the blood they craved. The Risen screamed when they spotted the living. Just as they launched themselves into a run, Robin signalled to Miriel, and the mage used her tome to trigger the detonators she had placed by the rope.

Agonised shrieks pierced human ears as the Risen were set alight, which broke a good deal of their formation as the hideous creatures were consumed by the flames. Unfortunately for the Shepherds, a fair amount of Risen also caught on to the ruse and attempted to skirt the rope barrier by running to the sides, prompting Robin to dispatch cavalry armed with flaming lances. Armoured units clanked behind them for support as they guarded mages who cast fire spells.

"Robin!" Chrom coughed as the air grew thick with smoke. "We're downwind! It's making it hard for our forces to see!"

Cursing, Robin snapped open a wind tome and summoned a powerful gust to blow the smoke away. To everyone's horror, the fumes and soot were no deterrent to their undead enemies—they seemed to see just fine and emerged from the haze, their red eyes aglow, as they pushed forward to claim their prey.

"Archers, first volley! Mages, go for a follow up! Buy us some time!" Robin commanded.

A hail of arrows flew at the Risen, their pointed heads ablaze, and Miriel's company sent out fireballs soon after. A few thankfully hit their mark immediately and removed two more revenants from the fight; the rest, while failing to kill, did manage to slow the enemy advance, and Chrom drew his sword as the Shepherds surged forward to meet their foes.

Steel clashed against steel in a deafening encounter. Robin's knowledge, combined with Libra's blessings and their prior experience in the forest battle, meant they were far better prepared to deal with the Risen now. The creatures visibly recoiled from the blessed weapons Libra had equipped them with, and the heat from the flames gave them little space to manoeuvre. However, they were determined to attack no matter what and still kept them pressed with a constant barrage of hacks and slashes and snarls.

Chrom's sword scared them the most. The Falchion, glowing that beautiful, lustrous sky-blue from before, left trails of dazzling light in its wake as the prince used it to slice through the air. The Risen glared and screamed balefully at it as they retreated from its reach. The soldiers took great courage from this and cheered loudly with each new step the Falchion won for them, allowing them to start forcing the Risen towards the river.

Frederick, of course, was no less steadfast, completely unwavering in his resolve as he and his massive horse galloped up and down the line of combat. "Do not allow yourselves to be distracted! Keep at it until we've vanquished these beasts!"

Rousing shouts of encouragement answered him as Ylisstol's forces began their final push. More cheers erupted from their side as the remaining Risen seemingly turned tail and ran.

"No, wait!" Robin desperately motioned for everyone to stop as the robe's buzzing grew louder and more frantic in her ears. "Don't follow them!"

The Shepherds and soldiers stopped abruptly at her warning, completely puzzled. "But Robin," Stahl said earnestly, "we've got them! All we have to do is go after them and finish them off!"

"They're not escaping," Robin pronounced gravely.

Suddenly, a low, ominous rumble began to shake the earth. The horses started to snort and pace nervously. Dread filled everyone's hearts as they realised the rumble was actually a very deep growl. They felt the ground beneath them move as the steps of something massive, something terrible, echoed throughout. Trees snapped in half as though they were little more than toothpicks when the monster they were hiding revealed itself to the humans, and the celebratory mood died that very instant.

"They just went for backup."

Next we get to switch to Chrom's pov, and some unexpected allies will come to the rescue! At least I won't have to struggle as much through the outline considering I have a fair idea of how I want to write it.

I won't be super active on Thursday because I have plans for lunch with friends and then we're seeing Star Wars! And then there's Channukah on the 22nd! So see you guys later for now! Happy vacations for everyone!