Big delay on this one. I'm sorry! I wrote the chapter last week, but I wasn't too satisfied with it because I felt like there was a big chunk of missed time. So, I did the only thing that any rational man would've done. I deleted what I had and started from scratch! This time I way more satisfied with what I have.

Let me know what you guys think by leaving a review! Also, remember to follow and/or favorite the story if you really liked it. Enjoy~

Chapter 11: And so it happened

Suffice to say, Robin got little sleep the night before their departure. After the incident with Lissa, he'd tried looking for her to no avail. She had the advantage of knowing the barracks more thoroughly than he did. If there was a place that she could hide, it would be impossible for him to find her. The tired tactician spend over an hour looking for the princess before giving up at last. Letting out a sigh in defeat, he returned to his own room to try and get some rest.

He was exhausted. The day had kept him too busy. Why, oh, why did Lissa have to run away like that? It put him on edge. He already had much more to deal with. Adding to possibility of the princess telling Chrom, or anyone else for that matter, about what he'd been discussing with Lyn and Isadora was just too much. They were at war-trying to protect the Exalt-with his homeland, he had to come up with tactics to keep everyone safe. Then there was the Black Fang. Oh, how he wished that was all just paranoid speculation from the lords in Elibe. Gods knew that there always needed to be an enemy for there to be some peace…

It felt like only minutes had passed when a sound at the door woke him from his slumber. Groaning in acknowledgement, the door was open by Frederick, who looked disapprovingly at him as if he was a child that had overslept on a school day. Robin didn't stayed put on the bed, but he kept an eye on the knight.

"You are late, Robin," Frederick said. "Chrom and the Exalt have been waiting for you for some time now."

"They have?" Robin asked, confused about the reason why that would be.

Frederick closed his eyes in an attempt to maintain his composure, though it was obvious that he was ticked off by Robin's stupid question. "Yes. Lady Lissa was to speak to you yesterday about it."

Damn that Lissa! He just remembered that the girl ran away before she even gave him all the information she was supposed to. Finally, the Plegian sat up. He wasn't as tired as he was the night before, but he could always use some more sleep. That, however, was something they couldn't spare. To wake himself up completely, he did something he used to do when he was younger. A quick, simultaneous slap to both of his cheeks. The sting that was left behind was enough for his brain to spring into action.

He apologized for the delay and finally got off of bed, stretching his back and arms. "Sorry about that," he told the knight as he walked towards where his robe laid. "Lissa looked tired yesterday. She only told me that the preparations were ready. She left before I even got a chance to ask her anything else," he spoke in half truths. Getting the girl in trouble would only put him in a worse position to get a chance to talk to her.

"Let us go and meet with them. I don't want to keep the rest waiting any more than they already have."

"Very well," Frederick said, pleased (enough) with the response. "I shall take you to them."

Robin followed the knight through the hallways. He noticed that there was a lack of noise that you would expect to hear when there are so many soldiers around-the sound of chatter, armor moving around, and supplies being gathered. It was rather unsettling. This eerie silence continued until they got closer to the training grounds. From that direction, he could hear the familiar voices of Chrom, Emmeryn, and Lissa. By the bits of conversation he could make out, they were discussing if there was anything else they should take from the palace on their journey.

Their conversation stopped when Frederick and Robin entered the area. The three of them were sitting at a small, circular table set in the middle of the grounds. And just behind Emmeryn, as always, stood the proud captain of the Pegasus Knights, Phila. Chrom and Emmeryn both threw a smile his way, which Robin returned with the smallest of waves. But Lissa, she looked nervous.

That on itself made him nervous as well. Just because they'd been talking about something that wasn't of importance when he got there didn't mean that they hadn't discussed other matters beforehand. Robin swallowed hard, trying to keep himself as calm and collected as he could.

"Good morning to you, Robin," said Emmeryn, still with a smile across her lips. "I thank you for joining us at this hour."

"All that bear meat you like so much has turned you into one," teased Chrom. "To have Frederick wake you up, you had to be out."

"I still lack the fur and the fat to be called a bear," said Robin, frowning all the while.

"Give it some time, you could get both." Chrom laughed at his own joke. "But I should say, I was surprised you weren't here even earlier than the rest of us."

"Ah, yes, you see… Th-"

"I-I'll go start waking the others," Lissa said. It was her turn to get looks from the rest. Her little outburst was enough to have the others question her actions. She must've known that too, seeing as she bolted out of there as quick as someone as short as her wearing such a constrictive dress would allow it.

From their expressions of surprise, Robin could tell that they didn't know the reason for her actions. That was good news to him. Well, good and bad. She hadn't told them, that was clear now. The problem was that if she was going to avoid him like that, even when surrounded by other people, it would make it impossible to sit down and talk to clear things out.

Robin let out a long sigh.

"Is everything okay?" Chrom asked.

Robin dismissed it, saying that he was still a little tired and jokingly said that he could use a lot more sleep. He ended up taking the seat that was set for him, just across the one that Lissa had been using just moments before. As for Frederick, he took his place standing behind Chrom, just like Phila. Those two were too similar…

"I was expecting the rest of the Shepherds to be up and about when Frederick told me I had been keeping you guys waiting," Robin admitted. "Is there something we need to discuss?" Chrom and Emmeryn exchanged a look, making Robin think that the siblings shared some sort of secret language.

"Lissa didn't tell you much, did she?" Chrom finally asked, to which Robin shook his head. "Figures. In any case, we would like to talk with you about a few things." He produced a scroll from beneath and table and opened it up on the table. It was a map of Ylisse. Major roads, towns, and cities were all marked on it. Robin looked at it, intrigued at the attention to detail that had been put into it. "First, there's been a change of plans. Instead of going to Regna Ferox, we'll be going to the eastern palace." Chrom pointed out the route they would be taken with his finger. "We've decided that having Emmeryn travel outside the Halidom could cause panic amongst our people. Therefore, we'll move her in secrecy along with a select few of Phila's knights."

Robin rubbed at the stubble that had been forming on his chin for days now. This was the first time he'd heard of this eastern palace existence. He wasn't very knowledgeable of geography outside of Plegia, so it didn't come to him as a surprise. "If the map is correct, it looks like a very defensible position. Having it so far from the border is an advantage. We can go to Ferox and then fight any enemy forces heading east. If we can make a perimeter from the Wall to the sea, we can then push them west and back to Plegia." This time Robin was the one pointing at the map as he spoke of his plan.

"Not many know of the eastern palace outside of a select few nobles of the court," Frederick mentioned. "It should keep the Exalt out of harm's way."

"Agreed," said Chrom before turning to look at Robin once more. "If we follow your plan, how long would it take to drive out the Plegian army?"

Robin sighed and crossed his arms as he leaned back on his chair. "That's...tough to predict. We don't know how many soldiers Gangrel will be able to come up with during his campaign. Even before I came here, the Plegian army was surrounded by secrecy. Also, we only have the Shepherds right now. That's twenty one bodies, including the new arrivals-Dame Isadora, Panne, and Gaius. Assuming Khan Flavia can spare the troops, we could be up to a few hundred, maybe a few thousand if we are lucky. Meanwhile, Gangrel could have upwards of fifty thousand. And if the war continues, his number could increase faster than we can defeat them…

With all that in mind, there have been many battles throughout history were the smaller army overwhelms the large one. All we need is to attack strategic locations."

Robin noticed that Chrom was in agreement, but Emmeryn looked unsettled.

"Such losses...even if they are our enemies, such loss of life is unfathomable," said Emmeryn. "If what you say comes to be, then we will have a war in the same scale as the crusade our father started."

"There is another option." Emmeryn perked up at hearing this, looking at Robin with her full attention. "If we gather an elite force, we could try cutting through and going directly for Gangrel instead. This has its pros and cons, however. The war can end that much sooner...if we kill the Mad King. On the other hand, we would be leaving the people from villages unprotected, unless we can station soldiers to defend them."

"Managing a smaller force would be easier, no?" Chrom asked. "If the elite force you mentioned can break way, we could have the rest of our forces follow behind and station them along the way."

"Both objectives could be achieved that way," Emmeryn said, much more pleased with the idea.

"Seems like you have a knack on war too, my friend."

"War is just a constant battle in a much bigger scale," said Robin. But the reason he was comfortable talking about it and giving these ideas was because he'd done it before-in Elibe. Yet, this felt much more different, somehow. Maybe it was because this felt real. Or maybe it had to do with who he was fighting against. Either way, he knew this war was nothing like fighting against the Black Fang.

"Your Grace," Phila said. "Preparations are complete. We should make haste and leave the city before the morning crowd blocks the streets."

"You are right, Phila," said Emmeryn. "But I would like to give Robin that something we brought with us before we do so."

"Your Grace?" Robin was confused. They were going to give him something? He started thinking that it could be clothes. He'd mentioned a few times in the past that he didn't have any apart from the ones he would wear (he would wash them, when possible, at night to keep them from looking grimy and stinking.) He had no reason to deny anything. Unless this something was too cumbersome. Then he would have to think twice about it.

Phila approached him, holding onto a bag. She set it down in front of him to present it. "The Exalt had us look for these last night." she explained. "I'm sure they will be to your liking."

Robin untied the knot that kept the bag closed and emptied its contents. They were books. About a dozen of them varying in sizes. Some of them looked new while others looked like they could be decades if not centuries old. He eyed them carefully, handling as if they were made out of glass and could break at any moment. Emmeryn giggled, amused at his reaction.

"These are all texts written by the Halidom's past tacticians," Emmeryn said. "Don't be fooled. Even the newer ones are reprints of books that have been around for centuries. Others are ones that can only be found in the royal library."

Robin's eyes went wide. In his surprise, he fumbled with the book he was holding. "I-I don't know what to say… I'm very thankful, Your Grace. Truly. But...are you sure you would want me to have these? It sounds to me like they are irreplaceable treasures."

"Books are meant to be read, Robin. And for the service you've done for our house in the short time you came to us, I can say that there is no one more deserving than you."

"Take them, Robin," Chrom chimed in. "It's like Emm says: they'll do much more good in your hands than just sitting in a corner of the library. Besides, you might just find a strategy in there to save all of us in the future."

Robin smiled, finally giving in. "You have my thanks. Both of you."

With the business settled, Frederick reminded them once more that they should get going. After Robin placed all the books back in the bag, he followed along Chrom and Emmeryn towards the stables. Lissa had already gathered everyone there. They all looked refreshed after getting a well deserved night's rest. It looked like their new additions were doing well in mingling with the rest of the Shepherds. The thief, Gaius, was talking with Vaike and Stah about something amusing, going from the laughs they were sharing. Isadora was with Lyn, Sumia, and Sully. The redhead knight was trying to prevent Virion from presumably hitting on the new knight, much to the amusement of Lyn. And then there was Panne… The taguel, while in close proximity to some of the others, wasn't part of any conversation going on. Instead, she was looking at some of the horses that had been prepared for them.

Speaking of horses, how had Isadora brought her horse with her? The white steed with golden mane stood out from the rest. Back in Elibe, Robin had been surprised to see such a horse, but dismissed it soon after. It was all a dream, after all. Now, the horse was something to behold. Much like its owner, it bore armor, although this a much lighter equivalent than the paladin's. Panne had taken note of the horse too. She was eyeing it as if they could communicate.

Robin decided that he should talk with her later on, when they got the chance. Taguel were intriguing to him. He knew very little about them. Chances were that even that that he thought was true about them could be erroneous. A human writing about another species could get so many things wrong.

"Listen up, everyone," Chrom called to attention. All chatter stopped. All of them then turned to look at their leader. "We are heading east before going to Ferox. We will be escorting Emmeryn to the eastern palace with the help of Phila and her Pegasus Knights. It should take no more than two days to get there. We will only stop twice per day. Once to have lunch and let the horses rest, and again at night to make camp.

"Make sure you've brought everything you'll need during this trip. Weapons, armor, and vulneraries are already on one of the two wagons we will be taking. Any personal items you will carry with you. Understood?"

Everyone agreed in unison.

"Alright then. Let's move out."

Chrom had made good preparations for their departure. Not only were the carts full of supplies as he'd mentioned before, but they were also being pulled by two horses each instead of a single one like it had been the case when they first went to Regna Ferox. Also, more of them would be taking horses too. The role of drivers would fall on Robin and on Vaike, as they'd proven they were capable of handling them.

They set off soon after. The line of men moved swiftly through the city. Before the sun was even completely in view, they had made it out of Ylisstol. Robin took one last look back at the capital. This would be the last chance he would have to see it for a while. And when he next were to see it, there was no guarantee that it would be in the same shape as it stood then.

The column of horses and pegasi was a sight to behold. Some travelers along the road stared at the group as they moved east. They were making good ground. Whoever chose the route had done a good job investigating it. The ride was smooth as if one were riding in a town. This was the reason why they were able to travel that much faster.

Riding the wagon would've been much better if the sun wasn't on his eyes most of the time. His hood up protected him just barely. He couldn't wait for the hot sphere in the sky to rise up more so that he wouldn't have to squirt all the time. Still, it wasn't all that bad. At the very least, he had some company with him. Donnel, Tharja, and Gaius were all riding on the back. If he needed to talk, he could always just start a conversation with them.

Vaike had gotten the shorter end of the stick with the passengers, getting Virion, Miriel, and supposedly Kellam. Even if the axeman wasn't all that friendly towards Robin, he still felt bad for the blonde.

"So, Bubbles," Gaius suddenly said. "What's the deal with you and Princess?"

Robin looked back at the man. He didn't know where to begin with what he'd heard. "Am I supposed to be this "Bubbles" you speak of?" Robin asked. Where had that even come from? What sort of nickname was that?

"Yep."

That was the only response he got back. "I would rather you call me by my name… It's Robin, by the way."

"It's just a nickname. I give 'em to everyone. Don't let it bother you too much."

That was hardly a valid point. Not that he would bother discussing it further. It wasn't worth it. "What makes you think that there is something going on between me and Lissa?"

"She's been avoiding you all morning, no? I noticed her get all quiet when you guys came to the stables. She was a little nervous, even."

"Are you insinuating that Master Robin would do anything to that girl?" Tharja's tone could only be described as threatening. Internally, Robin wanted to thank Tharja. She was a good friend. But, she could be a little too much to handle. If he didn't intervene at the right moment to defuse the situation, someone would get hexed.

"Shucks, ma'am," Donnel said nervously. "I don't think Gaius 'ere meant no trouble."

"You shut it, boy."

"Woah, woah, calm down, Sunshine," Gaius said, still trying to remain cool. "I was just saying something I saw. I wasn't accusing anyone of anything."

"It's alright, Tharja," Robin finally said. "No need for anyone to get hurt. It was just an innocent question." His words were enough for the black mage to calm down. She settled back onto her seat and looked the other way, avoiding any eye contact from Robin, who then turned to look towards the road.

Gaius leaned close to Robin, his head just a few inches away from the tactician. With a hand on Robin's shoulder and another covering his lips, he said, "what's with all that "Master" stuff?"

Robin looked at the thief for a second. The best response he could come up with was to shrug. It was just enough to have Gaius back off on that subject.

"Well then. You gonna answer my first question, or what?"

Robin sighed in frustration. He too wanted to know the real answer to that. "I have no idea. Last night, as I was coming out of a friends room, I bumped into her. She just ran away from me. She's been like that since."

"I see." Gaius nodded as he held his chin in a thoughtful manner. He then perked up. And idea must've popped into his mind. "You don't want things to be awkward between you two, right? Why don't I find out for you, Bubbles? I work as a thief, but gathering information comes with the territory."

"You would do that? I-"

"Not for free! You gotta sweeten the deal!"

How could he do that? He had nothing to offer for the man's services. He'd yet to receive any pay for his position as tactician. The few possessions he had were either worthless or too precious for him to just give away. "What did you have in mind?"

A grin spread across the thief's face. "I get your desserts for the next two days, and then for another two days after I find out what's on her mind."

He literally meant "sweeten the deal"? What an odd fellow. Desserts were always good to have. They could be a highlight to a good day. In comparison to the information he could receive, they were worthless. "Okay, but I want to put up a condition too. If you don't find out what it is before we enter Plegia, then you'll have to give me one of your desserts as reimbursement."

"Fine by me. I'm not gonna fail anyways. But if you put it like that, then I want THREE desserts after the deal is complete."

What was one extra dessert in the face of knowledge? "You got a deal." The two men, satisfied, shook hands to seal the verbal agreement. All Robin could hope for was that Gaius would be successful.

Some time passed before Chrom decided to take the first break of the day. The caravan stopped, moving off the road. Frederick gave orders to all of them on what they should and could do for the time being. Sumia, Stahl, and Ricken were in charge of preparing lunch. Kellam, Vaike, Virion, and Sully would be going ahead to check the road to make sure it was clear of enemies while lunch was being made. The rest were told to stay close by, in case there was a surprise attack of any sort.

Robin felt strange. This was the first time in a long time that he didn't have any pressing matters to attend to. Chrom was already heading to Emmeryn's carriage along with Maribelle. It seemed like Lissa was with the Exalt as well, which explained why he hadn't seen her at all during since they left the capital. Frederick hadn't ordered him to train any more with the sword, thankfully. That meant he had free time… Having nothing to do was boring, Robin concluded.

"-ord Mark," came a voice from his left. "Lord Mark?" The voice repeated. He turned to look at the owner of the familiar voice. He smiled to see that it was Isadora, with Lyn joining them just a moment after. From their expression, there was something on their mind.

"Isadora, my apologies," he said, rubbing the back of his neck out of embarrassment after being caught just staring into the distance. "I've had much to think about for the past few days that now that I have a break, my mind blanked out." Truly, he was glad that he'd been snapped out of it. Making a fool of himself wouldn't get him much credit as the tactician. Also, being able to talk with someone instead of dealing with whatever nonsense he would think was much better for his sanity.

"That's very unlike you, Mark," said Lyn, staring at him with a worried face. "Are you sure you are okay?"

Robin tried to dismissed her worry with a smile and a wave. "Yes, nothing to worry about here. Just a little on edge, that's all."

Isadora offered a small nod-and-smile combo in understanding. "Is it because of the event with the princess, mayhaps?"

"I won't deny it. That's part of it, yes."Looking straight ahead, Robin let out a long sigh. It felt like he'd been doing that more often as of late. "My life has somehow turned much more complicated than it was just a few weeks ago. Not that those days were much better… We all knew that another war between Plegia and Ylisse was inevitable, but I didn't want to see it coming for a long time."

"My Lord?" Robin's eyes widened. Had she been calling him "Lord" since she'd joined them?! What if someone else heard her? It was hard enough to pull off the whole Mark thing. Being called Lord by a knight was just too much. And Lyn didn't even looked bother by it either! Robin cringed at his own late realization.

"Isadora, just call me Mark or Robin," he told her. "I know that Eliwood gave me the title-so did Hector-but still. Being called Lord doesn't suit me. Besides, it's hard enough already with people getting weird ideas when Tharja calls me Master…"

"Is something wrong with calling another "Master"? I called Legault Master during our travels before."

That was something he'd forgotten. Back then, no one turned an eye to either Legault or Isadora when she called him like that. Yet, the Shepherds always gave him weird looks when Tharja called him that. What the hell?

"As a knight of house Pherae, and steward to Lady Eleanora, I must abide by the word of the Marqu-"

"Aaaaaaah!" Robin quickly interrupted. That stunned both Isadora and Lyn. He hadn't meant to interrupt the knight. It was just that Donnel and Frederick had walked near them. He couldn't let anyone hear what Isadora was about to say.

Only when everyone else was out of earshot did he continue. "This is a personal request, Isadora. I beg you. Just call me Robin or Mark." The knight had always adhered to the code too closely. That made her a perfect knight, but at times, it could be hard to deal with her on smaller matters. He had to appeal to her polite side, ironically, in hopes that she would understand the request. "Actually, don't speak of anything having to do with Elibe, for that matter. It would be best to keep that to ourselves for the time being.

"I…" Please, please PLEASE! "Understand. I must apologize for any inconveniences I may have caused you...Mark."

Robin was able to relax, somewhat. Isadora wasn't one to go back on her word or even make small slips. He knew that she wouldn't let anyone else hear about the things they'd discussed since her arrival. On the other hand, a certain long haired greenette was likely to say something she shouldn't. Her clothes might've changed-she still wore a similar outfit that revealed her long, slender legs, though this time it was blue instead of aqua-green, but she also now wore a red sash that wrapped around her midsection several times, and on top of that a long, black coat that had some sort of fur on the neck-but he doubted that she'd gotten any better at lying.

From the time he'd spent in Elibe, he'd learned over time that lying was impossible for Lyn. It made him wonder if she could do lies by omissions, but he wouldn't be testing that out. He wanted to trust her, but still had to keep a close eye on her.

"I appreciate it," he finally said, after realizing he'd been staring at Lyn for some time without reason. His cheeks flushed for all but a second before the blood dissipated. "What brings you two here, by the way? I'm assuming there was something on your minds."

"Ah, yes. Although I suspect that you've given me the answer to it already. We were talking, and were curious to know what you thought about the possibility of...briefing some of the members of this party about our current situation."

To say that he hadn't considered it before would be a lie. The first few days after Lyn had joined them, he'd thought about talking with Chrom about it. The man was reasonable and the both of them got along enough that he wouldn't entirely dismiss the idea. If they could somehow convince the others that they were telling the truth, then they could gain trust and valuable allies on their own secret battle, if he could even call it that-there was still no evidence that the Black Fang was really in Ylisse. However, the situation wasn't the same as it had been back then. They were already trying to handle a war with terrible odds on their side. There was also the fact that Chrom had already shown doubts about Marth's abilities of foresight. It that was too much to believe, then talking about travel between worlds, something he'd somehow done before through a dream-was plain unrealistic.

He had to speak truthfully to them. "The only one I would dare tell would be Chrom. He'd proven to be a good and reliable friend. But he is too skeptical to believe any of it. Besides, with war at our doorstep, he has his people and his family to think about before anything else. It's bad enough for him to have to deal with King Gangrel's men. Add to it their forces and you'll get a catastrophe.

"No, our best bet for the time being is to deal with this war swiftly before dealing with our own problems. Only then will we be able to start looking into it."

"I admire your sense of duty, Mark," Isabella said, sounding not all that satisfied with the answer.

"Yeah, well, I think I got it after traveling with all of you before."

The trio didn't get a chance to talk about anything else. Sumia approached them to inform them that lunch was ready and that they should head to get their share. After thanking the brunette, they headed towards the newly formed line of people waiting to get some of the food themselves.

Lunch was awkward, as Lissa had finally decided to come out of hiding to join them. It seemed that Emmeryn, Chrom, and/or Maribelle had forced the girl to come out of the carriage. What made it awkward was that Robin noticed a few times that she would throw a glance at him, Lyn, or Isadora every so often. Whatever it was that was bothering the princess, it had to be a big deal.

There was no chance for him to talk to her. When they were all done with their meal, she hurried out of sight again. Of course she would, he thought. There was no point in trying to follow after her. Robin decided that the best course of action would be to give the girl some time and space. Hopeful that time would make her calm down, he decided that he would take a look at one of the books Emmeryn had given to him instead. A little studying never killed anyone. He would have the time to read a few chapters. The forward party had just returned by the time the rest of them finished eating. They would have to eat too before they continued on towards the eastern palace.

He found the perfect spot near some trees a few meters away from where they'd left the wagons. The combination of the shade and the slight breeze made for a peaceful scene. There was a fallen log just beneath one of the trees, which Robin used as his sit. It wasn't the most comfortable of chairs, but it would do.

A few pages in, he saw Sumia walking over in his direction, tripping a couple of time on what he could swear was flat ground. The girl was a klutz. He feared that she would cause herself more damage than enemies would in battle. It was a good think that she would fight atop of her pegasus. If that were not the case, he would have to keep four or five other Shepherds with her at all times to prevent her from falling onto an enemy's' sword (yes, her falling on the sword; not the enemy hitting her.)

"Are you alright, Sumia?" Robin asked out of concern. "You look agitated."

"Oh, Robin. Hello," the girl answered, smiling. "I'm fine. I was just looking for a place to-" She stared at the book Robin was currently holding, her lips slightly parting. It was only when Robin arched an eyebrow that she continued. "Ah, I'm so sorry. It's just...I hope I'm not interrupting."

"Not at all." He placed a piece of leather-one that he'd ripped from his waterskin as it was loose-as a bookmark and then closed the book. "Would you like to take a seat?"

Sumia looked a lot more cheerful. After cleaning a spot, she sat down. "I didn't know you liked to read."

"I hardly have the time to do so or any books, for that matter. Emmeryn was kind enough to gift me we some this morning before we left the garrison."

"I see! There aren't that many Shepherds that read much. Except for Miriel. She reads all the time. But I can't ever talk to her about it. The last time I tried, she talked about a very complicated book about forgotten languages, I think she called it."

Robin chuckled, imagining both girls trying to talk about such a subject. "I can see why you stopped trying. Although, the books I do have aren't too different from hers. They are books of strategy. I used to read novels when I was younger. Haven't done so in a long time."

"A-ah, I'm sorry! I didn't mean to drag your past out in the open," Sumia said, alarmed. "Stupid, Sumia!"

"Peace, Sumia! It's nothing to make such a fuss over." The girl calmed down, letting out a sigh in relief. To keep the conversation taking that turn again, he tried to switch the focus to her. "So, I take it you like to read, then?"

"I love it! It helps me relax. That and I love how different emotions can be transmitted through the text. I mostly read novels and some smaller instructional texts, though. Nothing as complicated as what Miriel normally does. I even brought a few books with me to read on my free time. Reading at night always helps me fall asleep."

"I see. Then maybe you can recommend me a book sometime? Reading about strategy is all well and good, but there are times when I'm sure I'll want something more relaxing."

"You can count on me!" Sumia pumped a fist in determination. "I'll lend you one of the ones I've already read. Maybe we can even discuss it after you read it!"

"A-Alright, of course. Though, why do you carry books that you've already read with you?"

"I like to keep my favorite ones with me when I travel. That way I can reread them if I don't have any new books with me."

"I suppose-"

"I'm sorry to interrupt," said Frederick, who'd somehow approached them completely unnoticed. "Kellam, Vaike, Virion, and Sully have finished their meals. We are getting ready to depart. I suggest you gather your things and get ready as well."

"Right, thank you, Frederick." As Frederick was walking away to inform the next bunch, Robin stood up and stretched before turning to look at Sumia, who was doing the same. "We should continue this another time," he told her.

"Yes. I'll make sure to bring you a book then," she said. "I should get going then. Bye!"

After Sumia was gone, Robin took his book back to the wagon he was in charge of. He had to go and collect the two horses that were going to pull it and then secure them once again. It was no easy task to do by himself, but thankfully Donnel, who had some experience with horses and cattle, offered a helping hand. Between the two of them they were able to get the task done much faster than Vaike did, much to the "ol' teach's" displeasure.

In no time, they had once again set off, continuing their trip east.

Robin looked at the surroundings. It was nothing like Plegia. Well, not that he'd seen all of it. In his short time in Ylisse, he'd seen more of the country than he'd seen in Plegia for the twenty two years he lived there. It was just so green! It was beautiful. He could also enjoy being outdoors, seeing as the scorching heat of the dessert wasn't present there.

Hours passed on and the terrain kept changing. They'd made their way to some plains. As he looked around, Robin kept thinking about the advantages and disadvantages of setting up camp in such a place. Of course, that wasn't his decision to make. That was up to Chrom to decide. The prince must've read his mind, as he ordered them to stop. They would be making camp there for the night.

Robin was the one that had to hand out the different tents that were on his wagon. They were only carrying a few, as bringing one for every single one of them would be too much of a burden for the horses. As it was, most people would be sharing tents in groups of threes. The only ones that got their own private tents were Chrom, Lissa, Emmeryn, and, much to his dismay, Robin. When he asked the reason why, Chrom explained that it had been Emmeryn's suggestion.

"We need you to be on top shape," he said. "I know that you are under a lot of pressure. I can't have you going sleepless nights because you got stuck sharing a tent with someone that snores or maybe an insomniac."

"I suppose you are right," Robin said. "I appreciate it, Chrom."

The tents were set up quickly. Frederick assigned some of them task, which were mostly training and cooking. Phila would have the Pegasus Knights take shifts for night's watch. This, once again, left Robin with nothing to after he was done setting up his tent. He had to find something else to do. I better find something to do or Frederick will make me go on a night run, he thought.

That is how the tactician ended up finding a sparring partner. After the fight at the palace, he was more confident in his ability as a swordsman and saw the advantage he would have if he was able to master it. Lon'qu had been kind enough to accept sparring with him. The man had seen him in full combat and offered pointers on what and how to improve.

"You've improved much," said the man of few words. "You've gotten faster and even strike with more ferocity than you did the first time we trained together."

"Thanks," said Robin. "All the training with you, Chrom, and Lyn has paid off, no?"

Robin went on the offensive. To try to get Lon'qu off guard, he used a combination of quick and precise strikes-something he'd learned from Lyn-and heavy swings-as he'd learned from Chrom-while using a similar footwork to that of his opponent. This allowed him to catch Lon'qu off guard more than a few times. The more they fought, the more of an audience they were getting. Robin could even spy some of the Phila's Pegasus Knights looking their way.

Things kept escalating. At one point, the spectators started cheering for the two different contenders. It was a very exciting experience. The two of them were fighting full out. Robin was glad that they weren't using real swords, as he'd been hit too many times already.

The both of them, exhausted, were going to go for one last round. Whoever could knock the other one down would win. Neither one of them wanted to make the first move. They kept looking at each other, trying to anticipate any incoming attack. It was Lon'qu who took the initiative, after Robin taunted him with a false-start. The wooden swords met in the middle as their user tried pushing the other off their feet by sheer force alone.

A risky idea popped into the tactician's head. His arms were going numb from trying to fight off his opponent's force. He remembered how in the palace he'd met the ground. If I can do something similar to that…

Instead of pushing forward to try and make some space between them, Robin pivoted and turned, forcing Lon'qu's sword to slide off of his. The edge almost hit him on the arm, but he was safe. Next, he put his full force behind a kick directed at the back of the knee of the Feroxi. He was sure that normally such an attack wouldn't bring down a swordsman, but in this case, the man was tired from the constant fight.

Sure enough, Lon'qu fell to his knee. It hadn't gone exactly as planned. Still, it worked. The match ended when Robin put his sword against Lon'qu's throat and the latter was forced to yield.

"That was a good fight," said Lon'qu as he stood up and gathered his sword. "But don't think you'll be able to fool me twice with such trickery."

"Some things only work once per opponent," said Robin. "In real combat, that's more than enough."

Miriel got the crowd's attention when she announced that dinner was ready. Just as quick as it'd formed, everyone headed over to where the food was. That excitement dissipated from most of them when they saw what they were having. Bear meat. People were too picky about their food. Robin thought the meal had a very good flavor to it. The meat was juicy, and the spices used on it gave better taste and a decent aroma.

"How's it going, Bubbles?"

Robin turned to see that Gaius had sat down besides him. He noted that the thief didn't have a meal with him. When he asked about it, Gaius said that he'd already had his share.

"More importantly, I came to collect," Gaius said. "I'm confiscating your confection." Robin didn't get a chance to object. With the speed of a feline, Gaius swept the delicious looking cupcake and started devouring it. Both of them had been looking forward to it.

"So? How's that thing we talked about going?" Robin asked.

"Hey, hey. It's only been a few hours. It's hard to find out much when Princess keeps herself in her sister's company or Twinkles all the time."

"Twinkles?"

"You know, blonde? Pink clothes? Always carrying a parasol?"

"You mean Maribelle?"

"Yes, Twinkles. That's the one. Anyway, I can tell that tell that whatever it is, it's really bothering her."

"Did I pay you to tell me something I already know?"

"Relax, Bubbles. There's still time. All I gotta do for now is see if anyone else knows what's up with her."

"In that case I suggest talking with Maribelle. They are best friends."

"I don't know about that…"

"You don't like her?"

"No, it's not that… Don't get your panties in a bunch. I'll get to the bottom of this. Again, it's only been a few hours. Give me a few days and I'll have something more for ya." Gaius stood up and started walking away. "Laters."

The man was strange, but he was Robin's only hope. All he could hope for was that the thief would be discrete about it.

With dinner done, Robin retired to his tent. It was practically empty in there. The only things he had were his books on a bag, his waterskin, a bedroll, and a small table with foldable legs and a chair that would come in handy if he ever had to write down anything. It was better than nothing. He could call these few things his own. That was much more than what he had just the day before.

It was already night time, but Robin wasn't too tired yet. Instead of calling it an early night, he decided to take a look at the scroll Lyn had given him the night before. He'd almost forgotten about it if it wasn't for it's weight on his cloak. He placed the scroll on the table after he took off and folded the cloak. The tent was at a decent temperature. There was no need for him to wear it there, even if it did give him some sort of comfort when he did.

Taking a seat, Robin proceeded to open up the scroll and spread it atop the table.

The written language used in Elibe was similar to the Common Tongue. He'd been able to decipher that much after a short time over there. If he looked at the scroll under the assumption that the same could be said about it, then it would be possible to do the same to with the language used on the scroll. But that was only if they shared some sort of origin. If, for example, the language on it was closer to the one used in Chon'sin, then there was no hope for the tactician to get anywhere.

He kept staring at the odd lettering that spread across the scroll. Just what could be written in it? And why had "the old man" told Lyn that it was Robin's in the first place?

"Ugh," Robin grunted, rustling his hair out of frustration. "Who could I ask…?" Sumia came into his mind. No, it wasn't because she looked like she would be able to do it, but because of something she'd mentioned. "Miriel…" The woman was a scholar and a mage. If there was anyone capable of doing it, it would be her. Of that he was sure. He also knew he could trust her. Even if she rambled about what was on the scroll to anyone, most wouldn't understand what she was saying. He would have to ask her opinion on it soon.

"Having fun?" Robin looked up to see that Lyn had entered his tent. She walked over to his side and stared down at the scroll on the table. Going by her furrowed brow, she still didn't know anything about what was on it. "Any luck?"

Robin shook his head. "None whatsoever. The more I stare at it, the less sense it makes. I may need to ask for outside help on this."

"Are you sure?" She looked at his, surprised that he would consider that. "You were the one that said we should keep this from the others."

"I know, I know. Even so, if this is somehow linked to the Black Fang and that rumor about me, then I rather know now as to prepare myself of what is to come." The realization that he was alone in a tent with a woman in the middle of the night hit him all too late. "Wait, Lyn! What are you doing here? If someone saw you entering the tent, people will get strange ideas."

"What's wrong with me wanting to talk to you alone?" Lyn asked, frowning. "Besides, we used to do it all the time back in the day."

Damn, she got him there. When they traveled through Elibe, she would often do that too. She would even sleep there with him at times-in different bedrolls, mind you. Because he thought it was all a dream or hallucination, he didn't think it was odd. Some strange fantasy of his of a woman that didn't even exist. But that was different now! Not only was she there with him. She'd mature a lot since those times. She been seventeen then. Now she was a grown woman of twenty three. His mind kept going to places it shouldn't, heat rising to his cheeks.

"Are you okay? Your face is red."

"It's nothing. Nothing!" He took a very deep breath to try relaxing. Changing the subject would be good. "What can I do for you, Lyn?"

"I just came to talk," she admitted. "It's been awhile since we got a chance to talk. Just the two of us…"

That too was true. They gotten very few chances to do so. The longest one had been that first day they'd met up.

"I would like that," Robin said. "Let sit down, though. It feels strange to talk inside a tent when only one of us is seated."

With the table only having one chair for them, they moved over to the bedroll that was on the floor. Robin made sure to keep a bit of distance from her. He'd been more aware of her as of recently. Rubbing shoulders, in a literal sense, from sitting together would be too much.

"You look a lot more lively than in the past."

"Huh? What do you mean?" Robin asked in confusion.

"I've seen you socializing much more with all the Shepherds. When we traveled, you would keep to yourself most of the time. For the most part, you would only talk to Eliwood, Hector, and I."

That made the master tactician feel embarrassed. He scratched the back of his head in an attempt to hide it. "Everything was so new to me back then. It was a whole different place from what I'd grown accustomed to.

"I felt like I was there to guide you guys on your journeys. It didn't feel right to intervene more than I had to. I was too concern trying to keep all of you alive, I guess."

"You still talked with me, though."

He could feel her eyes on him. He turned to look at her, his expression relaxing much more. He offered her a smile. "You were like me."

"What do you mean?"

"Alone among strangers. You were the one that saved my life and took me to your home when I first showed up, despite not knowing who I was. You took care of me. You fed me. You were the first person I met. Of course I would treat you different from the others."

The role of the blushee was passed to her. Even with the faint light of the candle on the table, he could see the color on her fair skin. "Teasing doesn't suit you, Mark."

Robin chuckled at her reaction. She could say whatever she wanted, but she had to know all that was true too. He couldn't help but smile grin a little as he kept looking into her big, innocent, green eyes.

His heart was raising then more they looked at each other-neither of them turning away nor speaking a word. The sound of his his heart beating filled his ears. He, however, ignored it. He found himself leaning in closer to Lyn, his mind blank. She too, made the same action. This continued until their lips closed the distance he'd made sure to keep when he first sat down.

A lot of stuff going on in this chapter, no?

I wanted to have some more interactions with characters instead of just fighting all the time. That's why you see so many conversations going on with different people as the chapter went by. I was planning on throwing in something with Panne, Stahl, and Virion too, but decided against it. I'm gonna keep those for later, hehe. Always good to have something to look forward for the next chapter.

Also, come on! Who wasn't expecting that to happen at some point?

Last chapter got a really good reception. I'm really happy about it! It has the most reviews out of any other. I must've done something good haha!

starlightkitsune2178 -Could you imagine that? That would be pretty awesome. more so if Nergal was still alive and brought his version of the risen with him. That could mean that Lloyd, Linus, Uhai, and Brendan could make an appearance... In morph form.

werehogdog -Stay tuned for more on the next episode (chapter) of Different Awakening! No, seriously, keep reading. I have things planned for that. How long it will take before we all get to know what she did and did not hear? Who knows...?

Whatstoknow -Thank you very much. Much appreciated!

Antiques thief -Hahaha! I'm tempted to say at least one of them, but then anyone would guess who it'll be right away. And no worries, I didn't take it as an insult or anything.

Calpyso -I know what you mean. When I saw they were going to bring her in and that she recognized the Avatar, I got super hyped. The grammatical errors are mainly because of two reasons: 1) I am ESL. 2) I can be lazy and don't read through the whole chapter before publishing it . Honestly though, I hope that those go down as the chapters go on. Gotta keep training that writing skill, you know? Some of Lyn's clothing was revealed in her POV chapter, but I followed your advise and went into a little more detail on this chapter :D Since I skipped it before, I think there has to be a reason why he would take notice of it again. Don't worry about Isadora. I'll do the same for her in the coming chapters. Again, thanks for pointing that out.

potatoman098 -She isn't all that popular. Harken neither, for that matter. I did used them a whole bunch when I played through the game for the first time. Maybe I'm just bias? I liked her character in the game, so I thought she would be a good addition to the Shepherds' ranks. I'm glad you are enjoying the story so far. Hope you still do!