Sorry for the wait, everyone. There are a few factors for it. Mainly rewriting sections as I read through it again and again. It's not the best to write just a little every day for a single chapter. I find that it makes it inconsistent. In the end, I am happy with the result, so it wasn't all that bad.

Going from the reviews, people liked the introduction of Lyn. I was happy to see that! She was such a cool character. Trying to adapt her to the Awakening world may take some time. Expect me to be more OOC with her than with others because of that.

Also, the traffic stats on my stories haven't updated since Friday... I use numbers to know how well the story is doing. It annoys me not being able to see how many people have checked out each chapter. Oh, well. Not much I can do about that. Truth be told, I was waiting for FFn to get that fixed before I posted my next chapter, but it looks like that will be taking a long time and I don't want to leave anyone hanging. I just rather keep my story moving instead of losing interest from waiting for something that should really matter.

In any case, let me know what you guys think about this chapter by leaving a review. Also, remember to follow and/or favorite the story if you liked it!

Chapter 8: And so we improvised

Robin knew that the moment Chrom defeated Marth on the arena, they'd secured what they needed from the new ruling khan. He was happy with his performance in the fight as well as that of his allies. Of course, before they went in, there was someone that questioned his decision on who would be fighting. He didn't pay no mind to it. Time and time again he'd shown results to the Shepherds, guiding them to victory every single time in his short span as their tactician. At least they would recognize that. They left the fighting ring with their heads held high, although a little tired. The rest of their group was waiting for them just beyond one of the many tunnels.

A mountain of cheers and congratulations awaited the five of them. Robin couldn't help but smile. Frederick even acknowledged his hard work. Not Sully. Not yet. He had a feeling that he would have to prove himself again and again to her. He sighed mentally at the thought of it. All he wanted now was to get some rest. Ever since Chrom, Lissa, and Frederick had found him and Tharja, he'd had to fight constantly. That took a toll on his body. There was only so much magic he could use, even if he used his tome, without feeling exhausted. He really needed to take a little break.

If we're lucky we won't see any more combat on our way back, he thought. Having those few days be undisturbed would be fantastic for him. Someone else can drive the wagon and I can just relax at the back.

"Well fought!" A voice called out to them, bringing Robin back to reality. The voice belonged to no other than kahn Flavia. She approached them, wearing a very satisfied smile on her face. "You truly live up to your name, prince Chrom."

"Thank you," said Chrom. "But I would rather hear more about what we talked about earlier."

Flavia chuckled at her champion's words. "You have your alliance, alright. I'll have soldiers move to Ylisse as need be." She paused before she let out a sort of gruff laugh. "It's good to be able to take those kinds of decisions again. It feels like ages since I've held power."

Her words made the tactician wonder just how old the woman truly was. She certainly didn't look as young as any of their group, but to call her old would also be an over statement. He wondered if the northerners had some sort of treatment that would keep one's looks fresh. Or could it have something to do with the whether? That would be a good topic of conversation for the studious Miriel. He wasn't about to ask the khan, who, sword in hand, stood in front of them.

"Now, come, my new friends! Tonight, we celebrate!" The Shepherds didn't get a chance to protest. She khan disappeared as fast as she'd appeared, leaving them with no option than to attend the party. They still had to discuss logistics about the movement of the troops and such.

The khan was simply replaced by another, just had his head turned to look in the direction Flavia had run to while still walking towards them. He stopped just a shy distance away from them. "Give that woman an excuse to celebrate and she'll take it," the muscular man said. He eyed the group for a second.

Chrom was the first to speak up. "I'm sorry, have we met?"

Robin wanted to faceplan. Surely, Chrom should've noticed the other khan that'd walked the arena with them. Robin nudged Chrom to get his attention. When the prince turned, Robin whispered to him, "that's khan Basilio. He's the West-Khan."

"The one you so rudely removed from power, I might add," said Basilio. He didn't give off any ill intent with his words, but it was hard to feel at ease with the man. His appearance alone demanded respect. "I was expecting Marth to do you in, boy. He beat my last champion, although just barely, and he is a force to be reckoned with in sword play."

"Do you this Marth well?" Robin asked. This was the second time they'd met up with him. Both times, the circumstances were far from what one would call normal. This sparked some interest in Robin to know more about the man.

Basilio shook his head, keeping his eye on Robin. With arms crossed, he answered, "The lad just showed up recently and demanded to be made my champion."

"And you would just let him be because he asked?" Chrom asked.

"Of course not. If someone wants to fight for me, they have to prove themselves. So, I made him fight my champion, as I said. It was love at first sight, and I'm generally too old for such things! Bahaha!"

"Is he still around? I would like to speak with him if possible."

"He left the minuted the battle was over. Must not be used to defeat."

In the background, Robin caught Lissa sighing in what sounded as disappointment. That man did save her life. Wanting to meet him again was only logical. "Sounds like someone else is into the whole "love at first sight" thing, huh?" He teased the princes. A little payback for the river!

It was too bad that only a few heard him. Some chuckled at the comment. Lissa just flushed. She didn't get a chance to get a comeback, as the conversation carried on with Basilio.

"We should get going. Preparations for the party must be done right about now," said the khan.

"Already?!" Robin couldn't hold back his disbelief.

Basilio smirked at the tactician. "She's a fast woman, that one."

"If she is that fast with sending aid to Ylisse, I'll be glad," said Chrom.

The group turned around and followed Basilio to what would be the celebration room.

Just as Basilio had said, the party was already underway. Many crowded the different tables. Others stood around, drink in hand. Just before the entrance, they met again with Flavia, who was more than glad to see them. She brought them inside. The party guests started cheering when they entered the room. The Shepherds followed behind Flavia and Basilio as they made their way to some big table that Robin could only assumed was reserved for them.

After a toast, the celebration truly started. The Shepherds divided themselves into groups and either ate, drank, and/or talked with each other. Robin found himself staying with the khans. Chrom, Lissa, and Frederick were there too. Tharja, who was with him for a bit, scurried away. The ambiance was probably too much for the dark mage. He frowned when he saw her later sitting by herself. He was about to join her when Sumia and Miriel sat with her. At least I won't have to worry about her with those around, he thought, despite not being sure if those three got along or not. He could only assume so if they were sitting together.

The rest of the event was, well, uneventful. That is, until the Plegian felt a hand reach out and touch his back. He'd just moved to balance himself a bit. THinking he'd accidentally bumped into someone, he turned around, not noticing his fool had somehow been pulled from his head.

In front of him was a young woman in her early twenties, staring at him. Her expression was one of shock. It was as if she'd seen a ghost. This confused him. Was something wrong with him? Had she mistaken him for someone else? He noticed the lack of conversation coming from behind him. They were probably looking at what he was doing. He'd turned his back on them for long.

The green-haired swordsman looked like she wanted to say something but was having trouble getting her words out. She looked... strangely familiar to him.

Something in him switched just then. He'd heard before that when one is about to die, their life flashed in their eyes. Robin didn't feel like he was about to die, and yet, he saw that same thing. Except that what he saw wasn't his life. No, what he saw was something he'd thought had been just a dream. A dream that held an extensive amount of detail in it.

He could see faces of people he'd never met in real life. Events that felt so real, yet, had never happened. Conversations with people that didn't exist. But that didn't make sense, right? One of the people he kept seeing was right in front of him! He could feel his mouth opening slowly as he remembered a name. Yes, he knew who this woman was.

"Lady Lyn…?" He let out the name, more hopeful than confused. If this woman truly was who he thought she was, then that would put into question everything he knew about what was real.

Her reaction hinted at what he thought. She was visibly shaken by him calling her by that name. Someone who'd been called a wrong name wouldn't react like that. He felt as she closed the little distance that remained between them and pushed her face into his chest. Her hands gripped tightly against his back. Tears were soaking through his shirt.

As if to confirm everything-put the last nail in that coffin,or rather, open the coffin-she looked up at him and said, "It's really you! We searched for you. I searched for you...I've been searching for you for so long."

It truly was Lyn! Robin, in a bit of a shock, let his jaw hanging. At the same time, he was overcome with joy himself. His arms wrapped around her just as her were around him.

"But I finally found you," she continued. "I finally found you, Mark!"

"Mark…?" The voice of a certain princess was heard.

With everything that had happened, Robin had forgotten all about the people behind him. He turned to look at them, still holding onto Lyn, who didn't even bother looking at the others. It wasn't just them looking at him. Most of the other Shepherds were looking their way.

"E-excuse us!" Robin let go of Lyn in a flash before grabbing onto her hand and walking towards one of the doors as fast as his feet would take him. Lyn didn't have a problem keeping up with him.

Despite the many guests that blocked their way, it didn't take long before they reached their destination. There they had the privacy they needed for the strange conversation that they would have. He let go of her hand to turn and face her.

"You can't call me that," he told her.

"Huh?" Her voice was low, but not as broken as when she first spoke to him. Her cheeks were pinky, her eyes a little puffy from the tears she'd shed just a moment before.

"I mean that you can't call me Mark," he said, trying to talk as composed as possible.

"But that's your name!" She made a fair point. Technically, Mark had been his name.

How was he supposed to explain this when he himself didn't know what was going on? He let out a long sigh before he spoke up again, "Mark was my name back...there. My name here, my real name, is Robin."

"Okay, I think I get it…" He could hear a little disappointment in her voice. She managed to give him a smile despite that. "Robin or Mark, you are still the same man as you were back then." He too found himself smiling back. "You haven't even changed one bit! Other than clothing, that is."

Of course I haven't changed… he thought. That happened not long ago for me.

"You've changed a lot," Robin commented as he took another look at her. "You, ugh, look more mature? Last time I saw you, you were, what? Seventeen?"

"You do remember," she said with a sad smile. "It's been six years, Ma-" She stopped herself right on time. "Robin. Everyone back in Elibe searched for you…"

"Yeah…" He didn't know what to say to that. To him, Elibe was nothing but a figment of his imagination. A bizarre memory from his past. To change the mood of the conversation he said, "but it's good to see you've grown so well."

Lyn chuckled. It was hard to tell if it was because of what had happened earlier or not, but Robin was almost sure her cheeks turned just a tad more pink. "Thanks! But I'm more curious to know how it is you haven't aged. Is there something about this world? Or mayhaps you are a dragon too?"

He ignored her second question, seeing as how impossible that was. He would know if he had dragon blood in him. Her first one, however, peeked his interest. "So you do know that this…"

She shot him a reassuring smile. "I'm not stupid, Ma- ...Robin. I've been here for months!"

"Sorry, didn't mean to offend," he said nervously. "But if you've been here for months then that means-"

"Why did you run away, Robin?" The girl with the pigtails said as she approached them out of nowhere. Behind her, her brother followed.

"I know we haven't known each other for long, but that was really uncharacteristic of you," said Chrom.

"Ooh, I see how it is~" Lissa's voice sounded playful, but it sent a chill down Robin's spine. Lyn, on the other hand, just looked confused. "So, Robin," Lissa started, leaning in towards him with a very mischievous smile. "Is this your girlfriend? Tharja is going to be maaaad."

"Stop that," Robin said, cringing with every one of her words. "She's not my girlfriend. And don't go spreading rumors about it behind my back either. It's hard enough being a Plegian in an Ylisse militia as it is." He made a gesture towards Lyn. "This is an old friend of mine. Her name is Lyndis, but she goes by Lyn." He then turned to Lyn and gestured towards the other two. "This is Chrom, prince of Ylisse, and his sister Lissa, the princess."

"Nice to meet you both," said Lyn with a smile. "I'm sorry about earlier… It's just been so long since we last met."

"But didn't you call him Mark earlier?" Lissa asked, tilting her head to one side.

Damn, she's sharp! Robin was caught between a rock and a hard place. Explaining everything would be impossible. He wasn't sure what was going on. The best course of action was to come up with something fast. He was looking downwards when he remembered something.

"Ah, that's because of this." He took off his right glove to reveal the strange mark he had as far back as he could remember. The purple mark covered the back of his hand. It wasn't overly complex, but the six eye-like shapes made for an interesting design. "When we met, she commented on it and called me Mark because of it." All he could do was hope they would buy it.

"Yeah, that's how it was," Lyn, surprisingly, backed him up. He could see that she was staring at the mark curiously, just as much as Lissa and Chrom were. "I never learned his real name because of it."

Chrom looked satisfied with the answer. "If you say so, then that's how it is," he told him, offering a smile. "Will you be coming with us then, Lyn?"

"Oh, gladly!"

But while Chrom didn't seem to want to ask any more question for the time being, Lissa still looked curiously between Lyn and Robin. Robin knew that she would keep asking questions later on. The trip back doesn't sound as peaceful anymore, he thought.

"Great, it's good to have one more on board," said Chrom. "With you, we've gained two swordsmen for the Shepherds along with the troops we need."

Robin arched an eyebrow. "Two swordsmen you say?"

"Khan Basilio presented us with his past champion-a man named Lon'qu. If what the khan said about him is true, then we'll have another skilled soldier on our side."

"That's good to hear. The more the better, no? Although, it's going to be cramped in the wagon on our way back."

"He'll have his own horse. He doesn't...get along with women too much."

"I see…"

"We should return to the party. There still are things to discuss with the khans."

"Right, we'll be right behind you."

Chrom nodded before he and Lissa walked back to the party. Robin sighed in relief. "Keeping this secret is going to be difficult," he muttered to himself. "We should follow," he told Lyn, who nodded and walked besides him.

"So are those two part of your new journey?" Lyn asked.

"Ah, you could say that. I'm not sure I would call it a journey, though."

"You know, I saw you fight at the arena," she changed the topic. "How come you never did that when we traveled together?"

That was a complicated question. For one, he didn't know he could use magic over there. He would go with the easiest answer instead. "I didn't have my tome with me," he said. "I never felt comfortable using a generic tome. I keep all my spells on a personal tome, to lighten the load I carry with me."

"What about the sword then?"

"Ah, that's something I picked up recently. I can only parry. And just barely at that."

"Oh!" She suddenly sounded excited. "Let me help you train with a sword then! You helped me a great deal in the past. It's the least I can do."

Robin pondered on the offer. She was a more than capable swordsman, that was true. Her skills as a teacher, however, were still unproven. Then again, even if he learned a fraction of what she knew, that would turn him into a somewhat capable swordsman. In the end, he accepted her offer, which in turned made Lyn a little happy.

The rest of the day was spent talking with the khans. In order to make sure not to have to answer any more questions from a certain princess, Robin made sure to stick to Chrom, Frederick, and the khans like leach. And, not knowing anyone else, Lyn did the same to him. It was that way that they made it through the entire event. The Shepherds were offered rooms to stay, thankfully, as an added "thank you" from Flavia.

It was running late. The day had turned into night. Robin could hear the wind a snow hitting against the window of the private room he was given for the night. A small fire kept the room warm and lit, giving it a cozy feel. For one that wasn't used to snow, the fire was a very welcome sight. He'd removed some of his belongings, leaving only his undershirt, his pants, and the yellow small jacket on him.

He was sitting on the bed, reading his tome, when he heard a knock at his door. It took him by surprise, given that he knew most others were already fast asleep. Setting the tome aside on the nightstand, he got up and walked to the door. He opened it and was greeted by the same green-haired woman he'd just reunited with that same day.

"Is something wrong, Lyn?" Robin asked. He noticed that she wasn't carrying her swords nor her coat with her. Something had to worry her if she was visiting him that late at night.

Still, she shook her head. "No, but I was wondering if we could talk some more?"

He was half expecting her to say too had many questions he wanted to ask. The trip back would take a few days. Getting another chance to have a one-on-one talk were slim. He smiled at her and opened the door fully. "Come in," he told her.

"Thank you." She offered him a smile as she walked inside. He quickly closed the door.

The room was small. That had been the reason why he'd gotten one for himself. But now, that made things a little hard. There was no chair and table to sit at. The only option was the bed. They both ended up sitting on it, a little awkwardly, considering they were a man and a woman.

Just as Robin was about to ask what was bothering her, Lyn spoke. "How old are you?"

That was definitely not the question he'd been expecting. He looked at her, a blank expression on his face. "I'm twenty two," he answered. "What's with that question?"

Lyn giggled for a second. She made an effort not to look at him, instead looking intently at the fire that was on the other side of the room. "When we first met, you were twenty-two and I was sixteen, just like Eliwood. Hector was seventeen. You were among the older members of our group."

He didn't know where she was going with that. "Yeah…?"

"It's just funny how things switched around," she said, again, giggling.

That was something he hadn't considered. He'd asked her before how long it had been since they last saw each other. He could've come with the result much earlier. It was hardly the strangest thing about the situation, but it was humorous in a way. He ended up chucking.

"I'm still going to treat you the same, though," he told her in a mocking tone. "It hardly changes anything."

"You are supposed to respect your elders, Mark." She stopped for a second as she thought about what she said. "Robin. Sorry. It'll take some time getting used to calling you that."

"It can't be helped." He simply shrugged. "We already came up with a story as to why you call me that. You can keep calling me Mark, if you want. It's no big deal as long as we stick to it."

She nodded. Silence took over again. This time, it would be Robin who broke it.

"How did you get here? I mean, you said it yourself, this is isn't your same world."

"You went missing a long time ago. We all searched around Elibe for you, hoping to see you again. I followed many rumors along my travels, but they all lead to dead ends. That is, until the day before I came here.

"I met a man who said he knew how to find you. He even had proof-your green robe and some type of scroll that I couldn't read, but I remember seeing you carry it around."

He could easily remember the robe. Much like the one that was folded near by, he used to wear that same robe all the time. The scroll was an entirely different story. He couldn't remember anything about it.

"He took me to a cave he called the Ruins of Time. I didn't think much of the name back then. He told me that if I wanted to find you, I had to go in there. So I did. I can't remember how long I was in there for. When I came out, I was here, in Ferox."

The Ruins of Time? That was a place he knew nothing about. If what she said was true, it would be in Ferox. Perhaps, in the future, they would get a chance to investigate the place.

"I'm glad I came," she said, turning to face him. "I got to reunite with you and even see where you came from."

Robin smiled too. "The right world, yes. Not the right country. I was born and raised in Plegia-a country to the southwest of here. It's almost a complete opposite of here. Most of its territory is a vast desert. Also, we have a lot more dark mages than anywhere else in this world. I myself am a dark mage."

"That would explain your obsession with robes," she teased.

"Watch it, you."

"I'm just poking fun at you a little," she said. "Can we go there? To Plegia?"

Robin's smile quickly soured. He turned back to look at the fire. "No. I left Plegia in self-exile. If I were to go back, the Mad King would put me on trial for desertion and high treason.

"Remember the girl Lissa mentioned? Tharja?" Lyn nodded. "She was going to be put through the same hell I went through. I ran away, bringing her with me, to Ylisse, where I met up with Chrom and Lissa. We joined them both. Chrom is the leader of the Shepherds, a militia from the Halidom of Ylisse." He chuckled, his features relaxing some. "I'm their tactician now, just like I was with you guys."

He stretched his back. The sound of his spine cracking resounding. He plopped down on the bed, just looking at the ceiling, with his hands under his head.

"I wish I could go back to Elise," he said. "We fought for peace there. I deserve a break."

Lyn turned to look at him. "Why don't you?" she asked. "We can go back together. The rest would be happy to see you. You could meet Eliwood and Ninian's boy, Roy, and Hector and Farina's girl, Lilina."

Robin couldn't hold himself back. He let out a big laugh at hearing that. "So Hector had a girl in the end, huh? Does he have a beard too?"

Lyn, knowing what Robin was referring to, laughed too before responding. "He does."

"It does sound tempting…"

"But…"

"But there is much to do here still. Strange things are happening in this world, least of all you coming here. It wouldn't feel right for me to leave right now."

Lyn smiled at the tactician. "You've always been a good guy like that, Mark. Always doing what's best for others."

"I suppose that at least that second part is true, Lyndis." They shared a smile.

"Okay, I think we should call it a night." She stood up and headed towards the door. Robin just sat back up to take a last look at her, a little disappointed that she was leaving. "We can talk some more tomorrow." And so she left that night after exchanging good nights.

Robin already felt really tired as it was. He got under the covers of the bed and found himself starting to drift to sleep, despite the cold. The last thought he had that day was how he wished he'd asked Tharja to put the same hex on him so that he wouldn't have to be cold.

His eyes fluttered open the next morning when light from the window landed on his face. He slowly got up, already feeling the chill after getting the covers off of him. The fire was out, but there wasn't any other signs of snowfall. It was a good thing they hadn't left the night before.

Robin slowly got off of bed and dressed himself. The last thing he grabbed was his sword and his tome just in time for Frederick to come knocking on his door. They were getting ready to leave. Robin nodded at the knight, following behind him as they made their way outside, where the rest of the Shepherds were waiting for them.

"Good morning," he greeted all. He only got a few responses back. Those who answered were the ones that looked better. Half their numbers looked more like the Risen-just walking around with an expression of dread. They shouldn't have indulged themselves during the party.

"Robin, I would like a word," said Chrom as he tried to wave the tactician over. Both RObin and Frederick approached the prince.

"Is something wrong?" Robin asked.

Chrom shook his head. "Not at all. I just wanted you to meet Lon'qu before we set off."

A tall man with odd garbs stepped closer to Robin, giving the smallest of bows. The man, who could only be the Lon'qu Chrom spoke of, didn't say anything. Going by his name, Robin assumed that the man was from Chon'sin, a land he knew very little about.

"It's good to meet you, Lon'qu," he told the man. "I'm glad you will be joining us."

"The khan tells me what to do. I just swing my sword." The man's monotone voice made him look both serious and intimidating.

"Riiight… Okay then, should we get going to the stables?" Chrom noded, catching on that Robin didn't have much else to say swordsman.

"I'll let the others know," said Frederick. The knight walked towards the rest of the group.

The three remaining men stood there in silence. It could be because it was early in the morning still, or maybe because of the way that brief conversation went. Robin didn't think it was all that bad though.

"So, Robin, are you going to tell us more about your lady friend?" Chrom asked, giving a nudge to the brunette.

I was expecting that from Lissa, not you, Chrom, Robin thought as he rubbed the spot he'd been elbowed.

"It's a long story," Robin said, rolling his eyes. "Not a very interesting one at that."

"If you don't want to talk about it then it's a good story."

"What makes you say that?"

"Just a hunch."

Robin eyed the prince, who was smirking back at him. Lucky for him, their flow was cut short when Frederick came back and informed them that they were ready to move. He flinched when he saw Lissa talking with Lyn. Whatever they were talking about, it couldn't be good. Him and Lyn would need to get their story straight just in case. He couldn't just go in there and interrupt without looking suspicious. They would have to talk another time.

They reached the stables without any problem. It was a good thing that they were pretty close to the inn they'd stayed at. Whether Flavia knew about this or not, it was something Robin didn't know or cared about.

They all went to their spots. Riders at the front, passengers at the back, Robin as the driver. There were a few differences between the ride back, though. Lon'qu was riding at the front of the pack, with the rest. As Chrom had said the day before, he had a horse of his own and carried very little possessions with him. Sumia was also riding at the front on her pegasus. The girl looked more confident after the battle they'd gone through at the wall.

The wagon also had two additions. One was Lyn, of course. The other was Kellam, who Robin could swear, appeared out of nowhere. If the man put his mind into it, the tactician knew that the lancer could become a great assassin or spy.

Because of the added baggage and the two extra bodies on the wagon, there wasn't enough space for everyone to sit at the back. Lyn decided that she would sit with Robin at the front. It wasn't a bad idea. He would be able to keep control of any conversation regarding their past if need be. It would also stop Lissa from asking weird questions, or so he thought. Surprisingly enough, after they left the city, it wasn't Lissa who asked the first question.

"My dear friend," the archer started. "I had no idea that you had such a beauty for a friend! Between her and lady Tharja, you truly are a blessed man."

Lyn grunted while Robin felt a bit of a shiver come over him. He really didn't want to talk about it.

"He reminds me of Sain," she said, ignoring Virion's comment.

Had she not said it, he would've never made the connection. Both Sain and Virion always flirted with the ladies. Despite their looks being so different, even some of their mannerisms and complements they threw were very similar.

"True," Robin said with a slight smile. "But look ahead. of us. Aren't you reminded of a pair when you look at Sully and Stahl?"

The comment lifted Lyn's mood. They two knights did look a lot like their first companions back in Elise. Even the color of their armor was the same.

"You are ignoring Virion, Master Robin," came the cold voice of the black mage. Was she jealous? Why would she be? Or maybe she didn't want to deal with Virion, so throwing him at her "master" was best for her.

Lyn turned to look at Tharja and then looked back at Robin. "Master Robin?" He felt dirty from the way she said it and the look Lyn was giving him. He tried to wave it off.

"Your guess is as good as mine…" he told her.

"I believe Robin's lack of a response towards Virion was deliberate," Miriel said. Robin could practically see her on his mind as she adjusted her glasses. "Instead of feigning ignorance, a change of topic, one that only they can understand, is the best way to separate themselves from the current conversation. This is only a hypothesis based on my own experiences during social interactions."

"A very insightful view from our scholar," said Virion.

"Hey, tell us how you guys met!" Lissa was truly fishing for either gossip material or something to blackmail him later. "You didn't mention her when you told Emm about your story."

Damn you, princess!

"Emm?" Lyn was understandably confused.

"Lissa's older sister and the Exalt of the Halidom of Ylisse," Robin explained. "She was the one that sent us to Ferox. Remember what I told you about yesterday? About the weird events going on? It's related to that."

"Sooo, how did you two meet?" Lissa was full of questions.

"What's with the sudden interest in my life?" Robin asked defensively.

"You are our tactician! Of course I would want to know more about you. Besides, Kiriel and Tharja talk mostly about magic. Virion is, well, Virion. Vaike is being a kid and doesn't want to talk because you are here-"

"Hey!" Vaike's voice carried all the way to the front of the wagon. "Who you calling kid, squirt?"

"As I said, like a kid. And I don't know where Kellam is."

"Um, I'm right here. Hello?"

"That leaves you two to talk to. Besides, I also want to get to know Lyn better. If she's going to be part of the Shepherds, we should get to know each other and be friends, right?"

Her reasoning was flawless.

"So, if you don't want to tell me how you met, fine. At least tell me how you met a noble woman?"

"Oh? Is Lady Lyn really a true noble Lady?" Virion asked.

"Wha-what makes you say that, Lissa?" Robin asked.

"Well, when she approached you at the party, you called her Lady Lyn."

Robin didn't know how to respond to that. Thankfully, Lyn came to the rescue.

"I am a noble only by blood," she said. "I never lived that life."

"Oh…"

"Don't worry, Lissa. I don't think much of it now. Tell you what, I'll tell you how Robin and I met."

Lissa perked up, but Robin looked at Lyn with worried eyes.

"Truth is, I found him unconscious in the middle of nowhere, near where I lived. I couldn't leave him there. I ended up bringing him home and watching over him until he woke up."

Robin nodded approvingly. The truth was best.

"I see."

"What's the matter, Lissa?" Robin asked. "You sound disappointed."

"I was expecting...I don't know," she said.

"There is a lot more to it than that, but she is telling it as it was. It would take too long to go over everything."

"Then why not tell me now?!"

"Oy, calm down. I didn't get to talk with Maribelle much, but if she saw you, she would probably tell you that attitude was not fit for a princess."

The mentioned of a certain noble girl was enough to get Lissa to back off for the moment. Just like the trip to Ferox, it would be a long trip back to Ylisse.

This was a beefy chapter. Not the longest, but not short either. I wanted to have it end when they got back to Ylisstol, but it became a monster. One of the things the game doesn't portray too much between chapters is the passage of time. I really want to emphasize that, which is why I've gone into detail in the past about what the Shepherds do on their down time. Remember that this trip took them days to make. A lot of stuff can happen in those days, even if there is no combat involved. They gained two new members. As Lissa said, they'll try to get to know them better. This helps for character/relationship development, which I personally like. Still, don't think I'll forget about the battle any time soon!

I set up a few things with this chapter too. That was good. It gives me things to write about for later chapters... If I remember everything. Hehehe... I can have bad memory, okay?

The image for this story is the one I talked about on the last chapter. Robin looks blonde there, but Mark was always shown as a brunette on his sprite. That's why I described Robin as having brown hair.

Hope you guys come back to read the next chapter when it's out. Until next time!