If you like thematic music to go with your reading, queue up Diablo Rojo by Rodrigo y Gabriela. You'll know when to start playing.
Riptide
Dawn broke across the valley, slipping into a candlelit tent. Balls of paper and spent inkpots littered the floor as mad scratching filled the air. Panoramas depicting everything from armored pegasus bearing naked knights to armored knights and lance-wielding pegasus and every variant in between stuck to the walls.
The pen stopped and the tactician took a deep breath. The idea part was fun, the practical portion less so. But he'd worked out what he thought were a solid set of parameters to start production of lighter armor, he just needed Chrom's stamp of approval before sending it off to Miriel in R&D.
He gathered the coherent pieces of sketches and stood, back cracking as it aligned. He grinned, pushing out of the tent and recoiling instantly with a hiss at the blast of sunlight.
Sure enough, down the hill, Frederick was returning with the knights from PT.
He shielded his eyes and moved to Chrom's tent, halting just before the entrance.
Lucina could be in there. He'd forgotten about her entirely since the night before ‒ a pleasant few hours free of worry and pain. Or she could be sleeping. She would be sleepy, what with all the attempted murder.
He peeked in. There was a second cot beside the large one Chrom usually shared with Olivia. There were blankets piled on it, but he couldn't tell if anyone was in there. He glanced to the bed, seeing Chrom's branded arm over the blankets. They were probably up late, talking about family and whatever families talked about. Foreign aid and marriage, from his experience.
Damn. It was supposed to be years before he was ditched for family. Robin let out a sigh of disappointment and closed the tent again. He'd have to forge Chrom's seal like he usually did. He more enjoyed the opportunity to discuss ideas and catch up with his friend, but those days looked to be drawing to a close.
Robin moved down the valley, seeing knights gathering to shower and groom before the day's march. He could probably do with a bath and shave after last night, but now he'd had to wait in line like everybody else.
Finding the messenger hawk wagon at the back of the caravan and he began the search for the one that carried messages to Chon'sin. In addition to notifying Olivia she'd given birth to a monster, he had a correspondence to keep up.
The birds looked identical to him, but Regna Ferox would have little use of his plans and Plegia was the last country he wanted to find them.
"Are you my friend?" he muttered more to himself than the bird, flipping it upside down as if hoping to find a label somewhere. It squawked at him.
"What are you doing?"
He jumped at the cold voice, spinning around to face Lucina standing in the back of the wagon cutting off his escape. She was petite compared to him but still managed to block the entire walkway with her presence.
"Princess! Don't scare me like that." He grinned, hoping starting her day with a smile might put her in a slightly better disposition and undo the wrong he never committed. Her scowl deepened.
"What are you doing?" she repeated, looking between the upside down bird and the papers under his arm.
"Hm? Oh some ideas for research and development, sketches, possible chemical computations that could result in lighter alloys‒"
She darted forward trying to grab the papers but he leapt away, bird screaming at him.
"The hell?!"
"That's your cover? Research? When I deliver your correspondence with Plegia to father you'll be revealed as the turncoat you are, and father will see the mistake he's made in letting a snake get too close."
Robin stared at her. She unsheathed her weapon.
"Okay, or! You can look and see they really are the things I said. See? No need for drama..." He tentatively offered one of the papers. She hesitated, then snatched it out of the air, "Hey don't tear it!"
Her eyes narrowed. He grinned, evidently she hadn't studied chemistry, or smithing, or anything else he might have included on that page. There it was, proof he wasn't a traitor. He'd blinded her with science.
"Why is Sir Frederick naked? And riding a…" She squinted, "A cat?"
"Sorry I might have drifted off," Robin explained sheepishly, fumbling for another paper, "Here, this one is‒"
"Obviously code, likely giving a report of last night's ambush and how to improve future attempts," she glared, folding her paper neatly and pressing it under her chestguard as she regripped Falchion, "No one would consider such stupid drawings a threat,‒"
"Hey I spent time on those!"
"‒Making them the perfect message. Only a fool would communicate in plain writing, and you are no fool, Robin."
Evidence was in the eye of the beholder, he supposed.
"Thanks, I think, but you really don't know me well. I'm not a very good liar, and if you want to have a look at these other‒"
"I can pull them from your traitorous corpse," she moved up the wagon, long blade catching on a cage. She stepped back, freeing it.
"Is that what Chrom would want? How mad would he be if you killed me while he slept?" Robin asked, backing away with his hawk which had begun struggling wildly, ripping at his sleeve, "Or in general, I guess."
"I don't need his approval, I need him to live." She scowled, lifting her blade impractically high to clear the clutter and sidestepping towards him.
He looked back but this end didn't connect to the other carts. He didn't want to hurt her, even if she deserved it terribly, but he also wasn't going to die carrying awesome plans and a messenger hawk.
Well, he could fix one of those.
Falchion was too high and Lucina wasn't expecting the screaming hawk to fly at her tail first, so to call it a surprise attack would be accurate. It was surprising.
For both of them, as reflexes threw her back and Falchion arced to cleave the bird in two. She gasped as feathers and blood splattered her face, second later losing her weapon as Robin tackled her. Birds screamed and flapped against cages as the wagon rocked.
"Please stop trying to hurt me ‒ I'll let you go when‒!" he grunted, embracing her tightly against the hawk cages, keeping her arms are her sides, but was interrupted when she headbutted him, nailing the spot she hit last night.
"Guh…" He winced, closing one eye and leaning away, "Fine, y'know what, I'm not letting go‒!"
She kneed between his legs. He let go.
Lucina pushed him back against the other wall of cages where he slumped, and stepped to retrieve her sword. He punched the back of her knee and she cried out as she fell, kicking out. Her heel clipped the same spot on his forehead and he writhed, holding his face.
Seeing he was unprepared she lunged back, mounting him and drawing the dagger from her boot. He stopped the wrist inches from his chest. She grunted, leaning into it with both hands. She had the position and knew how to apply force, but he was stronger than her, and they both realized it as the dagger began to rise.
She lifted a leg to stomp his elbow, pinning it down as the dagger plunged again. His pinned arm grasped, finding the latch for a cage and throwing it open. Lucina leaned back as the door swung but failed to dodge the hawk bound for her face.
Robin bucked her off, scrambling towards the exit and hearing her rise behind him. He turned, catching her knife wrist again as they tumbled backward out of the wagon.
His fall was broken by mud and hay but the wind was knocked out of him. It was all he could manage to focus on grabbing her slick wrists to keep the knife at bay. He lost track of one arm and for a perilous second thought it was over until her fist met his face. She must have lost the knife in the mud and had resigned to simply beating him to death.
"And here I was, worrying you two wouldn't get along."
They stopped struggling immediately at the sound of laughter. Robin wiped mud from an eye to see Chrom over them, arms folded, eyebrow raised.
"F-father‒ I wasn't‒!"
"Yes she was!"
Behind Chrom other knights stood, some exchanging gold, all grinning. Lucina tried to rise but her sleeve was caught on a twist of Robin's collar and she sprawled into him to more laughter.
"I'm pretty sure I said, 'trust him like I do,' but I wasn't expecting this," Chrom joked with a smile that didn't reach his eyes. He reached down and gripped Lucina's bicep in a tight hold, the kind a parent did when very, very angry with their child.
He lifted her off and pulled her away towards the command tower. She looked over her shoulder, glaring at Robin until she disappeared around the path. Robin looked down, seeing Chrom's bootprint framing the knife perfectly.
"Alright, so who was that hottie with a body and also aren't you married?"
Vaike stood over him with a ridiculous expression, biting his lower lip. Robin rolled over to slip the knife into his cloak.
"You haven't met... Marth?" Robin stared, certain Vaike couldn't be that dim.
"Wait what?" Vaike blinked, looking back to him, "That was Marth? What's she doing back?"
"I'm sure you'll be debriefed on it later…" Robin sighed, pulling himself up Vaike's outstretched arm and looking around the gathered knights.
"I take it camp is packed and we're ready to move?" he asked, intended to sound like he was reminding them they had things to do, then remembered his clothes, "Wait leave the showers up. I gotta… Yeah," he winced. "Anyone have an ice pack? This is really starting to hurt..."
He departed, massaging his groin to chuckles and snickers.
Robin lay in the medica wagon as the convoy continued towards Port Ferox. His latest round with Lucina kept him from riding a horse comfortably, though he insisted Tharja be confined to a separate wagon as Lissa prescribed him a salve.
"It's not a problem, but you've never been one to complain about bruising before."
"Yeah well… This time's different," Robin shifted uncomfortably. Lissa noticed, then winced.
"What happened?"
"Lucina happened! She's all over me any chance she gets, it's been less than a day and she's made two attempts on me."
Lissa opened her mouth, eyebrows raised as she glanced to his groin as he continued.
"I can't go anywhere alone for fear that she's there, waiting to pounce! Mailing a letter, she's there; taking a shower, guess who shows up‒ I know right!?" He matched her astonished stare.
"She's been with us less than a day and you two… Really?" Lissa wrinkled her nose, "And you're telling me about it? Also aren't you married?"
"No. And who else can I tell, camp needs to know this woman is a maniac!"
"How…? I mean was it…?" She leaned in with interest now. "She just doesn't look the type."
"What, abusive? She pinned me down and hit me!"
"Do you hit her back?"
"That's terrible!"
"I mean not if she wants you to… Some girls might like…" Lissa cleared her throat, "Maybe you could bring in something else for her to… Channel her aggression?"
"I tried using a messenger hawk."
"Wow."
"It was a heat of the moment kind of thing, it didn't last long. They're really not built for durability. Tore the poor thing right in half."
Lissa stared.
"I know, I wouldn't believe it either! She looks so elegant and proper. But once you've had her on top of you in the hay, covered in mud, punching you in the head, you'll believe anything."
"I mean you're attractive enough, I guess…? That she's okay being herself with you in so short a time?"
"Well I…" Robin frowned, stopping his train of thought. "Wait what does that have to do with anything?"
Lissa matched his confusion.
"Doesn't it have… Everything to do with it?"
"What are you talk‒?"
"What are you talking about?"
They stared at each other for several seconds until finally Lissa shook her head and retrieved the salve.
"Apply as needed. Too much can't hurt you but… The best medicine is rest. So go easy on it?"
"On what?"
"Just… Go. I've got stuff to pack."
And so Robin found himself wincing with every bump in the road the wagon found, looking over drafts and maps. He sat on the floor surrounded completely by books, notes and crude sketches of armor. Tharja watched everything he did with interest, which made him self conscious and generally slowed everything down.
"I wish you wouldn't do that," he muttered, frowning at a word on the page his eyes hadn't shifted from for over a minute.
"You're interesting."
"I'm reading."
"I like that," she purred, lifting herself from her bed to move closer but he spread his arms like a protective hen.
"Don't mess it up, everything is right… Where I need it…" he muttered staring into space for several seconds, then pushing half the circle aside to outline a harness that would allow pegasus to airlift cavalry.
"Smart, find an opponent's blind spot," she smiled as she slinked around his oblivious tunnel vision, approaching from behind to sit against him, "and they'll never see you coming."
Her arms wound around his torso as she pressed a cheek to his shoulder, momentarily stiff in expectation of resistance. When none came she sank deeper into him with a smile. He continued drawing, scratching out, crunching numbers in a column and while flipping pages with his free arm.
They sat like that for a while, Tharja not making any attempt at pushing further, evidently content to be this close without him restrained or unconscious.
"Robin?"
"Hm."
Tharja blew at his ear gently and he shook his head. She smiled.
"How do you feel about children?"
"They're pretty much the worst," he replied, thinking immediately of Lucina.
"You've never wanted them?" She rose from his shoulder to look at him but he was staring at the parchment.
"I don't know about 'never'... But certainly less today than I might have yesterday."
He stared at the parchment but his pen had stopped, frown creasing his brow.
"Last night, you asked what I was doing in Plegia… Why I chose you."
"Tharja…"
"Yes…" She breathed as he put the pen down.
He turned, face centimeters from hers.
"How did you get into my wagon?"
She smiled as the canvas flap opened. They looked up as Lucina stiffened, uttering an apology and backing away until she hit something and stumbled in. She averted her eyes as Chrom moved in behind her, hands on her shoulders.
"Oh, sorry to interrupt a tender moment!" Chrom chuckled and Tharja rested flush against Robin's back before he could struggle free, "We'll be gone soon, I just wanted to be present for Lucina to say something."
Robin stopped resisting and paused as he and Tharja watched her with narrowed eyes. Lucina faced him, chin high.
"My father would like me to apologize for attempting to take your life. Twice," she stated without inflection or blinking. "I was trying to stop my father from being murdered," Chrom cleared his throat and she paused, "from my future coming to pass, and I thought you would be the cause of it. My father assures me my conclusions are inaccurate and if I wish to remain by his side… I will stop trying to kill you."
"You're too kind."
Her mouth closed, cold blue eyes meeting his, and Robin knew immediately depriving herself of ever seeing her father again was a price she was more than willing to pay to see himself dead. This apology was for Chrom's benefit, and their quarrel was by no means over.
"Is that whom I'm to share you with?" Tharja interrupted curiously, looking her over.
"Who you're to what?" Robin and Lucina echoed.
"I'd heard through the camp you were throwing yourself at my husband. If he wants a second wife I'd prefer someone a little less… Desperate."
"And that'll do for an apology thank you dear," Chrom grunted, wrestling Lucina out of the wagon.
"Plegian law allows a husband to take more wives if can provide for them… But I don't share well with others."
"We. Are not. Married!" Robin struggled against her with each word, finally prying free and making for the exit. He'd walk for a bit, by the sounds of excitement outside the port had just entered view and he wanted to see the promised fleet.
Tharja didn't follow him as he stepped out into the cool ocean air and dropped to the ground. The caravan was winding down the mountain path, at the foot of the cliffs on the other side of the small bay a town glowed. The port was full of trading vessels. Plegia's ships hadn't arrived yet.
The orange horizon beyond the sea was hidden behind the darkening cliffs as evening settled over them, but the town's lights danced across the water, inviting them to its warmth and rest.
Everyone paused to take it in before moving on. Virion stopped beside Sully.
"If milady would desire, I would paint the very scene before us to commemorate the night we‒"
"Shut up."
"Okay." He closed his mouth. Behind him Cherche watched the town with rapture.
"Never see anything like it?" Robin asked when Virion followed Sully down the switchback.
She shook her head. He waited with her as other soldiers passed, each stopping for a moment as the sun set out of sight and the town shone even brighter.
"I've never left the estate before the envoy to Ylisse. This is my first time seeing the world."
"There's a lot more of it out there."
Others teased at how easily the simplest experiences entertained him, but it was easy when everything was a completely new sight and sensation. Amnesia was considered a misfortune, but he relished the novelty of the world. He enjoyed sharing this moment with Cherche, it felt like she was the only one he could relate to in her level of wonder. Like children finding a new playground just around the corner from their house, their world was expanded with every discovery.
"Some places are a little more magnificent than others, though." She smiled gently, and he shook his head trying to remember what he'd said. "I think I will remember this."
"Any of it make you miss home?" he asked as the last soldier passed them, leaving them alone on the overlook. She thought for a minute as the ocean breeze ruffled their hair.
"No," she answered finally. She looked at him. "Should it?"
He shrugged. "Only if home's worth missing, I guess."
"The world is so big, so full of people and places. How can anyone live in one place forever?"
"Some people never get the chance to leave," he answered, guessing. He didn't really know.
"I tell myself I'll go back. I have to go back," she affirmed, expression conflicted, "But after seeing what we've seen, meeting everyone I have," she glanced at him, "I don't know that I want to."
He chuckled, folding his arms as the air began to cool.
"I think life's too short to not do what you want. I mean, I probably have half the time everyone else has to live, I can't remember the first twenty-ish years of my life. So I try to experience what I can, and not waste time on things that don't make me happy."
"You're wise beyond your years, Robin," she looked out over the bay again. "You speak like an old man."
"Maybe I am an old man."
"You'll have to share the secret to looking youthful, then," she lifted an arm as Minerva stuck her head under a gauntlet. He'd forgotten the two were never far apart.
Robin didn't know why the girl scratched, the wyvern couldn't possibly feel her through the thick scales, but it seemed to enjoy the attention. Gold-rimmed slits dilated on him as the red eyes rose to head level, pushing forward between him and Cherche. Cherche clicked at her but Minerva just leaned in, unblinking red eye focused on Robin.
"She's not hungry or anything, is she?" he asked, taking a step away, but Cherche just smiled.
"She's being silly, pay her no mind. You should catch up to the others, I'm going to take her out to stretch her wings."
"Yeah, right." Robin bid her farewell as she mounted up and the wyvern slinked over the edge of the cliff without hesitation, reappearing over the bay.
He caught up to the rear of the caravan, sliding past knights and carts until the path became too narrow to pass and he rested between the armory wagon and Gregor's mercs. While at first disappointed he wouldn't be able to discuss the town with Chrom, relief overcame him when he realized he also wouldn't be accosted by Lucina who was no doubt by his side, and he spent the remainder of the walk enjoying the sounds of Gregor's language. By the time he reached the town night had fallen, and knights had already begun setting up tents outside for those unable to find lodging.
Entering town was coming into a different world, and Robin took several minutes to simply stop and stare. Narrow alleys, tall stone buildings that connected homes, markets and shops without break, crowded streets packed with travelers, local fishermen and now militia. A man and woman played stringed instruments starting a slow bolero before the tavern.
A tall thin man in a cloak beckoned to him from a dark alley and Robin took a step towards him before he was yanked backwards.
"If you want to keep your kidneys, stay with me," Chrom chuckled, stepping up the stairs to the tavern and tossing a gold to the musicians.
"He was going to take my kidneys?!" Robin asked in wonder, staring over his shoulder at the now empty alley, "How? What would he do with them?"
He took one step down to go ask before Chrom pulled him towards the door again. Robin took note of the building's facing, seeing the gaps between the structures were much closer the further from the ocean the street was, as if they were trying to squeeze just one more row of buildings in.
The tavern was warm, full of lively characters and full tables, with a burning fire in the hearth and shapely waitresses bussing to and fro with platters of mugs. He grinned, watching the barkeep fill three mugs from the massive cask in the back and sliding them down the bar to a group of rowdy men. Two groups of mercenaries in the back chose champions to arm-wrestle across a short table. Robin wasn't a partier, but he could people-watch here for hours. His smile broadened, turning around and processing.
The man playing cards at the table beside him was cheating, not realizing he was gambling with his life as the other men thumbed daggers. He'd survived a lynching once, guessing from the scars along his neck- ropeburns. Maybe he'd get lucky again.
Someone across the room had hiccups.
A waitress passed Robin with a wink, but he could only see the tanline of a wedding band. Over her shoulder a man stared at them. A stalker, or scorned lover. She knew- she looked in every direction but that one.
Robin turned, coming face-to-face with Lucina's scowl and deflated with an exhale and eye-roll.
"We don't know how long it'll be until the Plegian fleet arrives, but from here we can coordinate for the troops to start embarking on the journey over." Chrom spoke loudly over the bustle.
Robin nodded and Chrom shouldered his way through the crowd, Frederick one pace behind him. A drunk rested a hand on Chrom's shoulder and Frederick peeled it off with pops audible from where Robin stood. The drunk laughed, probably unaware he had broken bones, and stumbled out the door. Robin looked after him, then to Lucina who watched him.
"After you." He pretended to smile.
She rested a hand on her hilt that said she'd rather keep an eye on him. He stood straighter.
"No offense, but between the two of us I'm the only one who hasn't tried killing me."
She stood firm, unmoving.
"So now you're not speaking to me?"
Lucina jerked her head towards Frederick.
"You're probably the least pleasant person I've met in my entire life."
He stepped after the open path Frederick made before it closed again. They found an empty rectangular table in the corner, Frederick placing Chrom against the wall as Robin and Lucina lunged for the chair beside him. Frederick took the seat and the other two refused to look at each other as they sat side-by-side.
"We should find rooming for the soldiers," Robin suggested to Chrom who nodded, seeing several of their party making their way into the tavern and finding another table.
"If we cannot it won't pose issue, a resupply is all they require," Frederick stated, glaring around the pub as if every patron was there to harm Chrom.
"We should be able to message the khans while we're here, tell them where to rally their forces."
"First," Chrom held up a hand, assuring them all their suggestions would be answered, "I need food. I'm starving after the march today and have always wanted to try Feroxi seafood."
He rose suddenly and spotted the others of their company, making his way towards their table. Frederick stood, ignoring Robin and Lucina's protests, and followed the prince through the bar. A predictably awkward silence followed.
Robin took a deep breath and Lucina tried looking interested in something else, but they both faced the wall. He exhaled slowly. She rested her arms on the table.
He looked over his shoulder to see Chrom leaning against the counter, engaging the others in conversation, and cleared his throat.
"So… What's the future like?"
"Dark," she answered, not looking at him.
"Nothing nice? What do you remember most about it?"
"Death."
"That's… Nice."
"No it isn't."
"Right…"
Another pregnant pause broken by the sounds of laughter and cheer behind them.
"What do you enjoy doing?"
"Nothing..." She sighed, looking at her hands now, clearly wishing her father would return.
"There's gotta be something."
"There's nothing."
"Kendamas," Robin snapped his fingers, "I can see you as an avid kendama enthusiast."
She looked at him like he was an idiot.
"It's this little wooden ball-in-a-cup‒"
"I know what a kendama is."
"So you like‒?"
"Stop talking," she commanded, staring at him.
"I want to get to know you‒"
"I'm going to kill you. That is the only thing you need to know about me."
"Sounds like the only direction we can go is up!"
"You actually don't stop talking."
"I used to sleep…" Robin thought for a moment, "But no, I guess I don't anymore. Thanks for that."
She was already rising, pushing her chair aside and shoving past him to make her way across the tavern and join her father. He watched her go, chewing his cheek thoughtfully.
There was no doubt in her mind that he had done what she said he would do. She really did believe him the villain of this tale. Watching her interact with other Shepherds, she kept them at arm's length sure, but she never showed any form of animosity. If he were to judge her based solely on her interactions with everyone else, he'd say she was a polite, well mannered, perhaps a bit socially awkward, but not malicious. No, that was reserved for him the way a well-behaved child took to ants with a magnifying glass.
For her entire personality to 180 just for him… That took a level of conviction with no small amount of certainty. The entire premise for which was ludicrous… But if someone told him his best friend's daughter from the future would travel through time to make his life hell he'd say that was equally absurd.
Putting aside what he felt, what he believed with all his heart would never come to pass, he briefly considered the prospect. Could there exist a possible scenario where he'd kill Chrom?
"Women… Always storm off making you feel like the bad guy, right?"
Robin looked up as the red headed boy deposited two shots on the table and rotated the chair across from him and time slowed as Robin focused.
Young, couldn't be over eighteen. Scarred knuckles emerged from fingerless gloves, soft-soled shoes, light garb form fitting yet with enough bag to hide something, air of confidence one only had when they knew a way out. Thief.
That had been waiting for them. Him? No, Robin was nobody. Frederick was a suit of armor and Lucina unknown. Chrom, then.
Not an assassin, they wouldn't be talking. Hired, though ‒ needing information. Whatever it was, he couldn't take it yet. He needed to know where it was, and for the opportunity to present itself. A glance around told Robin he wasn't with anyone here. No one paused their conversation, watched out of the corner of their eye, paid any attention whatsoever to their corner of the room.
The thief sat down in the backwards chair and smiled.
"Gaius," he extended a hand across the table.
Robin shook it feeling strong fingers.
"What are you in town for, Gaius?"
He didn't listen as the boy lied. Calmly. Eyes averting when they should, deep tone betraying no anxiety or rush. Kid was good.
"...And you?"
"Looking to do some fishing, I heard there might be boats in the area I might rent."
"Into fishing, are you?" The green eyes flashed.
"No, I'm afraid I'm terribly ignorant about the whole ordeal." Robin averted the trap with a humble sigh, jerking his head backwards, "With some friends, just looking for some fun."
"No offense, but your friends don't look very fun," Gaius chuckled, scratching his chin thoughtfully as he looked over Robin's shoulder.
"Yeah, well hopefully this trip will change that. What are adventures for if not to bring people together? You look like you've seen your share enough to agree."
"Psh, adventures happen any day you step out your door. I've seen no more than you, I'm sure," Gaius answered noncommittally, lifting his glass.
Robin sniffed his own cup. He lit a small flame and held it above the surface, drink catching fire instantly.
"What proof is this?" Robin stared at the beverage, blue flame dancing merrily on the surface.
"Dunno, but if you're not going to drink it," Gaius grinned, taking the glass and downing it in one motion before gritting his teeth. "Feroxi vodka, nothing like it."
"Wouldn't know," Robin raised his hands as Chrom arrived with drinks.
Stahl sighed, exiting onto the strip from the last inn in town. It was fair, he was among the newest in the ranks, he didn't deserve to find proper lodging. But it would have been nice. Every inn was booked tonight so unless he made real friendly real fast with someone he'd be sleeping in a cot again.
Ah well, such was fate. Since he got the letter he knew his life for the next untold future wasn't his anymore. It belonged to Ylisse. That detachment made the tough parts a bit easier to bear. He could pretend it was happening to someone else. It got him through basic, the screaming drill instructors, the padded sparring, and he thought it would do well to keep him under the radar once the war got underway, but the fates it seemed had something else in store for him.
Someone bumped into him in the crowd. He muttered an apology but the person was already gone. His mind caught up and he frantically felt for his pocket.
"Damn…"
He sighed again. It wasn't much, a few gold for dinner. But it looked like he'd be getting rations tonight too.
On the bright side he had the opportunity to take off the armor. Walk around like a human being for a couple hours. Let him pretend he was a traveler in a foreign town, on his own agenda with no one's mission but his own to mind.
"Stahl!"
And then reality sunk back in. He turned up the street, expecting to see Sully or some officer barking at him to do something. Cautious optimism set in when he saw Cherche leaving a storefront to cross the street towards him.
A shady character was on a perpendicular trajectory and the two collided. Stahl wasn't sure what happened in the next second but the man cried out, reeling backwards and clutching his wrist as Cherche refastened the coin purse to her belt, not taking her eyes off Stahl.
"Hey, I thought that was you!"
"Oh uh... H-hey. Cherche, right?" Stahl grinned nervously, looking over her shoulder at the man who took off in the other direction.
"That's right. On R&R?" She cocked her head and smiled in a way that made Stahl blush. Even armored head-to-toe in steel she was adorable. Did she ever take off her armor?
"Y-yeah," Stahl answered, still surprised someone like her would talk to him, let alone remember his name. He realized he wasn't doing a very good job of keeping up his part of the conversation and snapped out of his trance. "A-and you? On ah… Leave?"
"Yes," she said slowly with the inflection that said 'No,' and smiled, "Lord Virion retires early in such… 'Base' towns. I took it upon myself to patrol the area. To make sure it's safe."
"Oh. Right."
"So," she brightened, "want to patrol with me?"
"I'd love to," he answered immediately and blushed again. He didn't expect he'd be spending time with beautiful women on during his service, but it was a pleasant perk. "Just don't ask me to buy anything, a cutpurse already took the three gold to my name."
"Why would I ask you to buy anything?"
"N-no reason. I was just ah…"
"I'm teasing," she grinned, patting her purse, "If you see something you like, let me know."
"I couldn't‒"
"Sure you could. It's what friends do."
"Friends… Right." Stahl's smile matched hers.
They walked the streets for some time, popping into shops, watching crowds, and feeling freedom unlike which either had truly felt before. She learned he'd never seen the ocean, and he that she'd never left the estate until a month ago and has since been to four countries. They walked along the waterside, strolling up and down the docks in no particular hurry to reach anywhere, enjoying the company.
"And can you believe what the street peddler was going on about?" Stahl laughed, "The string of robberies, bakeries and chocolatiers ransacked while next-door jewelry shops are untouched, all up the coast?"
"Maybe they had the wrong address. Couldn't tell what they were grabbing in the dark," Cherche grinned too, pausing before a small ship.
"I'm not sure, it's almost too…" Stahl paused, looking back to see where she'd stopped. "What's up?"
A frown crossed her features and she looked up the dock, then knelt closer to the wood. She ran a gauntlet along the smooth hull, face pressed close.
"Cherche!" he hissed as she vaulted onto the deck out of sight. He looked around but the docks were deserted. He bit his lip. What the hell was she doing?
He waited for almost a minute, then rested his arms on the high rail guard. He did a couple test hops, then jumped onto the rail almost knocking heads with Cherche. She landed on the dock and made a brisk pace towards the harbor.
"Cherche! What's going‒?!"
"Those ships are Valmese."
"O-okay, Valmese traders in a port city…?" He caught up to her, trying to understand the rush, but she shook her head and broke into a jog with one word.
"Soldiers."
"... No, no wait ‒ it gets better I promise. Hold up."
Gaius attempted to contain himself but broke into another bout, causing the rest of the table to erupt with laughter. Even Lucina broke a small smile, seeing her father in such mirth as Gaius regaled them with a story of his time with the traveling circus. The Shepherds had pushed two tables together as the tavern cleared and the night wore on, and had gathered around to swap war stories.
"Okay okay, I'm good," Gaius wiped his eyes and took a deep breath, and the group stifled themselves to hear the conclusion.
"So, so Dinky, the dwarf, his vest gets all caught up in the Chon'sin fireworks, right? The firebreather chokes when the bear breaks loose, lights the vest on fire, and Dinky takes off like a pinwheel across the stage, bear after him like a cat after string," he spun his hands wildly to demonstrate as chairs creaked backwards to laughter again.
"Starts knocking over the other dwarves, sets the net aflame, tightrope walker's screaming for someone to save her as the strongman's putting the bear in a sleeperhold. And I'm just standing there at the entrance, thinking to myself… 'So that's the significance of the slipknot.'"
"I'm guessing you lost that job," Robin chuckled when he caught his breath.
"Y'know, I'm not sure anyone was left to fire me. So I guess you're looking at the last member of the Cirque de Mila," Gaius shrugged and cast a look over Chrom, "So Blue, what do you do?"
"Oh, I'm just… The ringleader for these misfits," Chrom joked, following Gaius' gaze to Falchion. He didn't seem to mind the nickname.
"Sounds like a full time job. What brings you to Port Ferox?"
"Fishing, like I said," Robin chimed in. Gaius looked at him, then smiled.
"A lot of steel. Expecting the fish to fight back?"
"Well, can never be too careful in places you've never been," Chrom caught onto Robin's charade and eyed Gaius carefully. The boy's eyes traveled over their shoulders and he sat a little straighter. Robin's senses heightened.
The door swung open and a cold ocean draft swept into the room. Armored boots paused at the door, breath echoing faintly under a helm, then marched towards the bar as others filed in behind the first.
Gaius yawned, stretching and rolling his neck as he stood.
Robin sighed. Here we go.
"Well, here comes the hard part of the job, because I really like you guys," the boy muttered quietly for Robin to hear, leaning towards him and Chrom as the others returned to their own conversations. "But I'm afraid I have to ask you for something."
"I think we both know the answer to that request," Robin didn't need to follow his gaze to Falchion.
"Then you probably also know what happens now," Gaius took a pained expression, evidently preferring this didn't go this way.
"Between a dozen vanguard versus a handful of Shepherds?" Robin watched him calmly, slowly clicking the sword free under the table. "I can guess this place gets lively."
"What are you talking about?" Lucina uttered, she and Frederick coming in halfway through the conversation and sensing a very different change in atmosphere.
"Well, I was about to make the introductions and use the opportunity to steal Blue's sword," Gaius stated unabashedly as he adjusted his gloves, causing Chrom, Lucina and Frederick to rise from the table and making everyone look, "But I think your friend's got me covered."
"Pffffff, sure do know the prince! That's him right… Whoa... Better be careful, there's like… four of him over there. Hey Chroms!" A highly inebriated Vaike called, waving at them from the bar and knocking over numerous empty mugs.
Vaike fell into a fit of sniggers and swooned. He plummeted face first into the wooden floor, farted, and started snoring.
Robin turned around for the first time as the bar fell silent. He guessed what the armor looked like before he saw it, from the scout reports and stories. He wasn't far off. Across the tavern were Walhart's elite vanguard: the Hoplites.
The faces were hidden under the vision slit and cheekplates but twelve helms turned to them simultaneously. The other patrons stared between the two groups, realizing they were in a very wrong place at a very very wrong time. A pindrop would have echoed.
Hardened knuckled tightened on short spears, boots shifting to face them. The arms and lower legs were bare for mobility, but the tightly bound muscle might as well have been leather padding. The round shields on their backs were broad, utilized in coordination with close teamwork, Robin analyzed, and the plumed helm denoted some form of special forces. The visible bulging muscles were tensing, and up close was not the way he preferred to learn an enemy's capabilities.
"What. A town. Drunk!" Robin chuckled in his most charismatically disarming voice before the door to the tavern flew open and Cherche stood in the entryway, Stahl panting heavily behind her.
Helms turned to face her.
"Prince Chrom, Walhart's soldiers have reached the Feroxi coast!" Cherche called across the tavern.
Helms turned back to the corner tables.
Cherche saw the hoplites and stared, astonishment visibly becoming anger.
"I'm sure if we all took this moment to realize how wonderful it is to be alive and well‒" Robin grinned, cut off as Cherche ripped a hatchet from her belt and swung her arm with a full body throw at the leader.
He didn't flinch as the axehead thudded into thick bronze, comrade lowering his protecting shield. The leader looked back, nodding once, and the next seconds happened so fast even Robin had difficulty keeping up.
Hoplite spears lifted, chairs flew back as Shepherds rose, Cherche charged the nearest enemy and patrons scrambled to get the hell out of the way. Then the world was a blur of light, metal, cries, noise and reflexes.
Robin's lightning suppressed two hoplites behind shields before another spear flew from the chaos, nearly impaling his neck if Chrom hadn't yanked him aside.
Cherche caught a spear's jab, breaking the shaft with a one-armed swing before being driven back by the shield bash.
She stumbled over a chair, falling backwards and looking up to see the enemy engaged by Stahl. She pushed off the ground as another hoplite broke off from the chaos to join them.
Stahl moved to put the reinforcement on the opposite side of the one he grappled with. Unarmed and unarmored was not the way he trained to engage multiple opponents. Cherche routed the other before Stahl was flanked, and the two fought side by side.
The hoplites moved like a wave, pushing and pulling as a group of at least two or more, covering one another's flanks and pushing with synchronized attacks that forced Shepherds to disengage entirely, unable to block so many directions at once. As if someone had taken Robin's paired-fighting techniques and mastered them. He didn't know the last time he'd been angry, but someone plagiarising his tactics and superior-izing them was doing the trick.
A spear broke against Frederick's breastplate as he threw himself bodily into another hoplite, peeling the shield away like a heavy door before sheathing his sword in the enemy's chest. The hoplite gurgled, garnering the attention of three others who swarmed Frederick like a pack of angry wolves, stabbing at the gaps of his armor and making him stagger back before Gregor appeared to assist him.
Robin hit the ground as a dead hoplite fell on him. The door burst open and Robin turned his head, hopes dashed as another dozen hoplites charged in shield in hand. He brought an arm down on a round table and it fell in time to catch three speartips inches from his face. He thrust the body off.
"Fall back! Fall back and regroup!"
He heard Chrom's command and looked up to see Shepherds retreating to the back door, stooping to recover wounded, dragging an unconscious Vaike by his feet.
Robin was too far to make the run to the back door and his barricade only moved in one dimension. Still, better than staying here.
He cranked the table legs, rolling it in the direction of the bar as more thuds hit the other side. A hoplite appeared before him and reeled from a face full of flame.
The table reached the bar and Robin scrambled around it to find Lucina and Gregor.
"Chrom called for a retreat!"
"Be my guest," Lucina growled, nodding towards the five meters of no-man's land between them and the nearest cover by the back door.
Robin winced as broken glass rained on them, spears shattering the bottles of wine along the walls and piercing the giant keg above them.
"Always bright side," Gregor smiled, using the base of a bottle as a saucer to catch a stream from the tap. "Oi!"
Robin grabbed the disc of glass, holding it above the bar as a mirror for a headcount.
A lot. Shepherds fighting a straggling retreat were diverting their attention but some enemies had already begun to circle the bar.
The reflection of a speartip met the real thing and Robin clenched an eye as glass sprinkled his face.
"Well?" Lucina demanded, not chancing a peek.
"They have to run out of spears sometime," he muttered hopefully, shaking his stinging hand out.
Gregor shook his head. "You didn't see swords?"
"They have swords, too?!"
"Inside shield. Make foe soft with spear, finish fight close. Pin enemy with big shield, and..." Gregor made a rapid stabbing motion and winced in memory, "They aim for groin first."
"Okay, this is the kind of thing I asked to know in your 'Prior Experience' interview!"
"It's very short sword."
"It's very soft groin!"
"Da, will hurt," Gregor admitted sadly before frowning at him, "But your fault! Always yelling," his voice turned high, "Gregor write reports, Gregor shout at men, Gregor take turn in chess‒!"
"Gregor look out!"
A hoplite rounded the bar, deflecting Robin's thrown sword as Gregor pounced on him, dagger sinking hilt deep in his neck.
"See?!" The man shouted over his shoulder, stumbling backward as a spear glanced off his shoulder pad.
"Father!"
Robin looked up from pulling Gregor back to see Chrom and the others making a last stand by the back door, refusing to leave until everyone made it out. Lucina's call came too late as a shape came from behind the chaos and around to sucker punch the prince, stripping Falchion from his hands and sprinting for the stairs.
"Gaius!" Chrom snarled, flexing his jaw and rising before a spear made him duck again.
Robin lifted himself from the ground as he realized his pants were getting soaked. Liquid spread across the tavern floor from the seemingly bottomless wall cask.
"Get ready to run because this place is coming down," Robin shook his head, lighting a small ball of flame over his hand.
"No, Robin, people live here‒!"
"They've got an ocean, Lucina! They can handle a fire!"
She reached for his hand but his wrist flicked, pitiful ball of flame arcing over the countertop. "Robin!"
"Whoops!" Robin uttered as if the exclamation might make the burst of flame somehow less intentional.
Hoplites paused their approach, then broke rank to crowd the doors as flames spread the tavern floor like the door opening to hell. Cut off from the front, they threw themselves against the bulwark of knights holding the back door and were met with massacre. Gregor charged the window to the back alley while Robin made for the stairs, hearing Lucina's steps close behind him.
He reached the top, seeing every door closed, then remembered the surrounding buildings. The west-most room was locked and he booted the door in, seeing darkened room and open window on the other side. He ran out onto the balcony and looked out, seeing a shape on the next rooftop heading north.
"And now ladies and gentlemen..." the street musicians calmly addressed the unperturbed crowd from the other side of the street of the burning tavern now being given a wide berth.
"Diablo Rojo."
Shepherds began emerging from the alley below as the guitars kicked up an upbeat tempo and Robin shouted to Chrom, pointing. The prince nodded, ordered the remaining Shepherds to finish the scouts that remained and took off north. Frederick tried to follow but his wounds held him back.
Robin looked down from the rooftop, gauging the distance and taking a deep breath.
"What are you doing?!" Lucina called.
He took several steps back then launched himself across the gap between buildings. He caught the ledge and scrambled up, hearing Lucina behind him. He considered giving her a hand, then remembered he didn't like her very much and made after Gaius.
The rooftops were uneven and in the failing light he almost tripped several times, caught up on stray bricks or miniature chimneys. His finding most of the obstacles helped Lucina catch up quickly, but he ignored her calls to stop. What could she possibly not understand this time, Gaius had Falchion, that was all that mattered.
Chrom ran below, looking up to check Robin's heading though he was slowed by crowds and pedestrians. But somehow they were catching up. Running with Falchion must be slowing Gaius down. Robin was spotting him more frequently, thief looking back and seeing him closely hounded by Lucina.
The boy took a sudden sharp right, disappearing into a wall of hanging linens. Robin shouted to Chrom and balanced along the flimsy sheet-metal bridge that connected the buildings while the prince made his way up the street to the other side of the building.
Robin ran through several layers of cloth and realized he was in a veritable maze. Gaius could be a meter in any direction and he wouldn't know it.
"Robin!"
He ignored her, swiping through a layer.
"Come on out…" he muttered, slowing his breath to listen for footsteps. He knelt, but in the dark it was impossible to make out anything.
"Robin!"
Closer now. But if she was that way, then the boot scuff from the opposite direction...
"Gotcha." He tackled forward, trapping them both in the cloth.
Gaius grunted, slipping out of his grasp as they wrestled for Falchion, but Robin had a firm grip now and wasn't letting go that easily. He raised his hand to summon magic as a needle appeared in Gaius' hand. It plunged into the back of Robin's knuckle and pushed forward, releasing his thumb through a pinched nerve and allowing Falchion to slide out easily.
Robin hissed and brought his other fist around, spinning in air as the sheet wrapped him and Gaius was gone. And now Robin only had one free arm for when Lucina showed. He swore, kicking at the tangled coverings as the familiar sword swung into view through the towels ahead of him, linens falling around Gaius who'd ducked just in time. The boy's eyes were wide as he felt the back of his head, headband sliding free. Then he was on the retreat, cutting clotheslines and throwing baskets at Lucina's wide sweeping assault.
Gaius was navigating back towards Robin and the tactician suspected they would both be unpleasantly surprised by the result. Gaius no doubt believed she would be hesitant to swing so recklessly around an ally, and Robin believed he was mistaken.
Robin was right.
He rolled out of the way as a swing nowhere near Gaius cracked the stone rooftop where he'd been laying.
"Whoa! Really?" Gaius exclaimed, staring at him as Lucina tore the blade free to rain gravel over them.
"I know, right?!"
"Sorry mate!" Gaius called, leaping over him and face planting as Robin caught his boot, Lucina charging.
"De nada."
Robin rolled over in time to see Lucina mid-leap and raised an arm. The lightning blast locked out her limbs and she hit the ground beside him like a stiff doll. Gaius was on his feet again and Robin sent a wave of fire along the clothesline, cutting off escape before turning the fire to the blanket trapping his legs.
Gaius turned to them, silhouetted by flame. Robin picked himself up with a grin. Lucina rose, glowering at Robin and panting lightly.
It occurred to Robin he'd never actually seen her angry before. Her attempts on his life had always been reserved, controlled, a soldier fulfilling her duty. Now she was angry, and he had zero doubt she intended to kill him- not because it was her duty but because she wanted to.
Chrom stood beside a cafe at the corner of the building, waiting to see which side the pursuit continued from. He declined the barista's third attempt at luring him in and sniffed. Was that smoke? A complete stranger came to stand beside him and look skyward too.
Gaius was yanked back by his cloak, choking him before Lucina's full swing made them both duck and he kicked out, foot meeting Robin's head.
Robin didn't have a chance to reel before Lucina's followup brought him to the edge of the building, waving his arms for balance. Lucina sprinted forward, ignoring Gaius gathering a long wooden plank from the edge of the roof to lay down between the next building, before a blast of light sent her flying past.
Robin recovered and ran to kick the wooden plank out of place, but the thief leapt the final meter and caught himself on the edge of the next building as the wood clattered to the street two stories below. Chrom gave chase but he'd lose him quickly without a rooftop guide.
"Face me, Robin!"
"Lucina I really don't have time for you right now," Robin scratched the back of his head, gauging the distance between the buildings, "I have to get your family heirloom back."
"Get my father alone with you and your assassin, you mean."
He turned, seeing her pointed attack stance.
"You can't be serious."
She took a step forward before swooping wings made them look up, then step back as Cherche landed on the rooftop between them. Minerva swung her head back and forth, taking them in.
"I don't know why you're attacking Robin, but anyone who fights my friends fights me… And Minerva."
"Cherche! A thief took Falchion, find him and‒" But Cherche shook her head, eyes not leaving Lucina whose weapon wavered.
"She won't kill me. You go, I'll stay with her."
Robin found that difficult to argue with. He turned, glancing over his shoulder, and took a running start summoning wind under his leap. It carried him the extra few meters to grasp the edge of the building, and he hoisted himself up to continue the chase.
"You don't know him," Lucina's weapon lowered as the last of the fires died. She had no intention of striking down an innocent.
"Neither do you," Cherche leaned forward and Minerva lowered for the rider to slide off.
"You don't know what he's capable of. What he'll do to you, or this world," Lucina uttered, staring as Cherche laughed softly.
"You're going to punish him for what he's capable of? That hardly seems fair judgement on any man."
Lucina shook her head. "Please stand aside. You're making the biggest mistake of your life. Trusting him."
"I'm giving him a chance." Cherche neared, sheathing her axe, "You should do the same. Going through life believing there's nothing new to learn..."
Her right cross knocked Lucina unconscious before she hit the ground.
"...Is going to get you hurt, dear."
Cherche flexed her gauntlet, then whistled to Minerva. She retrieved Lucina's weapon and stowed it, wyvern lowering its wing to help lift the girl onto its back.
Gaius was just ahead, and running out of urban territory to lose them. A shout from below verified this and Robin sped up as Chrom disappeared around the block. Something reinvigorated the thief, the chase was much faster now as if the first several minutes were a warm up, and Robin was glad it was nearly over because he was about spent. He hated sprinting. Moonlight caught red hair dropping from the next roof and Robin knew Gaius didn't stand a chance. Chrom hadn't been fighting, he'd be fresh enough to subdue Gaius and Robin looked forward to learning who'd hired this guy during a long, thorough interrogation.
Robin reached the edge of the building and leapt, realizing his mistake a second after committing. He hit the ground and sat, swearing loudly as he panted.
His gaze shifted between Gaius grinning at him, hands on knees as he caught his breath; Chrom, struggling, face to the cobblestone; and the dozen burly-looking convicts who were eyeing them like wolves in a chicken coop.
"Worried you were gonna… Ruin the fun before it started!" Gaius straightened, hands on his hips as he panted.
Robin didn't have the breath to talk so gave him the finger as two men stepped forward with black bags.