Woah! Amazing reception to the last chapter! Brought in over a thousand views in less than four days. You guys are amazing!
Because of how the last chapter ended, I started typing up the next one immediately after the upload. So that's why this one only took a few days to come out instead of the usual week~
Hope you enjoy this one. I tried a lot of different things with it for no particular reason. It's just how things turned out, haha!
Anyways, let me know what you think on a review! I definitely want to know what you think about this one in particular. Also, as always, favorite and/or follow the story if you really liked it!
Chapter 12: And so he betrayed
It had been a while since the last time Robin had been able to just enjoy a moment. The only way that it could be described was pure bliss. As they shared that moment, he felt like there was no one else in the world but them. She was was the sweet fragrance on her skin. The small sound their lips would make every time their lips parted only to meet up again. And of course, those soft lips of hers that were on his.
He was hit with a moment of doubt. Should they really be doing that? They were at war, even if they had yet to see more combat. Then again, he'd seen many of his past companions find love through their journey, despite the constant state of fighting...
Any doubts he had quickly disappeared when Lyn shifted closer to him and wrapped her arms around his neck, keeping him closer. She ran her finger through his hair. Gods, that feels good, he thought as he too wrapped her arms around her. His right hand was on the small of her back and his left on the back of her neck. That made them get even closer.
It was embarrassing, in a way. His heart was going crazy. With their bodies touching, she would be able to feel it. He could feel hers too. He found comfort in the fact that it felt like he wasn't the only one with a fast heartbeat.
Robin had lost the sense of time already, so when they parted, he didn't know if the kiss had lasted a minute of an hour. All he knew was that it felt good. The only reason he'd stopped was because he needed to get some breath. Yet, he was already craving those lips again.
Lyn's hands had moved to both of his cheeks, gently caressing them slowly in beat with their breathing, while both of Robin's hands moved to her waist. Their foreheads were touching as they both took in a well deserved breath of fresh air.
"We should talk alone more often," Robin finally said, earning a good laugh from his partner. He joined her too for a moment. He knew it was a stupid thing to say, but it'd been the first thing that came up to his mind. The man was a brilliant strategist. What he lacked was experience in love affairs.
"Not with this stubble of yours," she said, running a finger over where said stubble was. "It was like kissing a cactus or a porcupine."
Robin flinched. He'd forgotten all about that. "S-sorry. I haven't had a chance to shave recently." With a little more worry in his voice, he asked, "was it really that bad?"
"No!" This time she was the one worried. "I was just teasing you a little…"
"Teasing doesn't suit you either." That was a relief. He didn't want things to get awkward between them after that had happened. Lyn relaxed too, offering him an apologetic smile, which he returned.
The two went back to sitting side by side; this time, the distance between them wasn't that much. Neither of them knew what to do, that much was obvious by the silence. Before things got too awkward, the tactician started some idle conversation. They talked for a while. He talked about Plegia when she asked what it was like, trying to point out more of the good points than the bad ones. Not an easy task when talking about a country that mostly consists of desert.
He asked about what had happened to Caelin. She explained that she'd entrusted the rule to Ostia and returned to the Sacaen Plains for a while after he'd disappeared.
They talked about a great deal of things, whether they be small and stupid, like the fact that Hector looked ridiculous with a beard, to political stability throughout the Lycian League. All the while, they held hands, in a way to acknowledge their feelings for each other.
Eventually, when Robin noticed that the candle was running short, Lyn decided to call it a night. Neither of them knew how to act. Another kiss could be too much. Maybe a hug? They decided to just exchange a smile and say their goodnights instead. There was no need to force things too much. They would see each other the next day anyway.
With nothing else to do, he thought about getting some sleep. He removed his boots, his gloves, and his belt, placing them on the table just besides the scroll. To kill the ember on the candle, he licked two of his fingers and pinched the wick. With the light extinguished, the tent turned almost pitch black. Robin could only faintly see the outline of the things that were in there with him. He carefully made his way towards the bedroll, laying down once he found it.
There hadn't been any fighting that day, but it had still been an eventful day. His magical essence had been slowly returning to him throughout the day, which was a good sign that he would be ready for combat if it came their way. He'd also gotten better with the sword in such a short time, much to everyone's surprise. Next time he would be able to combine the two effectively to keep himself from getting physically or mentally exhausted.
It was a good day, he thought as he closed his eyes. Without a doubt, the highlight of it had been how it ended. With Lyn in his mind, he eventually fell into a deep slumber.
The next day started when a certain knight opened the flap on his tent, casting sunrays directly to his face. He tried squeezing his eyes as much as he could, but the light had done its job.
"Good morning, Robin," said the knight, satisfied that his little ploy had worked. Robin wondered if the man was also moving around on his armor more than he needed to just to bother him. "Prince Chrom asked for you. We'll be having a war counsel at his tent."
The tactician grunted in acknowledgement, glaring at Frederick. He would've wanted to know that the day before. He felt bad having someone send for him when he wasn't even ready. Starting tomorrow, I'll make sure to wake up early, he thought.
"I'll be right over," he told the knight. "Give me just a moment to get ready."
"Of course." The knight, however, didn't move. He smiled happily, just waiting for Robin. This made Robin wonder if he was used to doing the same with Chrom and Lissa. It wouldn't have been too surprising if that were the case. Lissa didn't seem like a morning person, and Chrom, well, he was Chrom; very reliable, but took on so much that he had to be exhausted at the end of the day. Robin had no choice but to rush to get ready. It was bad enough having people waiting elsewhere. Having someone doing so right there, well, it was an added pressure.
Before long, Robin had already put his boots and gloves back on. As he was grabbing his belt, he noticed that Frederick had been staring at the scroll that was still open on the table. He berated himself internally for leaving it in the open like that. Then again, he hadn't expected anyone to come looking for him so early in the morning.
"Is this written in a Plegian alphabet," Frederick asked. "I can't say I've seen writing like this before."
"Uh, no… Not that I know of. Lyn gave it to me. I've was trying decypher it last night with no luck."
"I see. Though, if I may ask, why would she give it to you? I had no knowledge that you delved in languages as well as tactics."
He just had to ask, didn't he? Robin adjusted his belt and then grabbed his cloak. "It's nothing that impressive. She was told that it belonged to me, but I don't remember ever owning something like that."
"Is that why she was looking for you?" Frederick asked.
"Huh?"
"If I recall, she made a comment about how she had been searching for you for some time at the party in Arena Ferox."
"N-no, I don't think that had to do with it…" He tried to get his hair to look more presentable. "She got it a few days before she traveled to Regna Ferox."
"I see. She was really just searching for you, then."
"Hey, what are you implying?" He got a hold of the scroll and rolled it up before placing it back on an inner pocket on his cloak. "Are you saying that I'm not worth looking for? That's pretty cold coming from you, Frederick. I would've expected something like that from Sully or maybe Lady Maribelle." Lastly, he got a hold of his sword and tome. He was ready to move out.
"My apologies, I didn't mean it to sound like that," Frederick said, showing a small smile. The man was impossible to read at times.
"...Lets just go and meet up with Chrom. We can't keep him waiting forever."
"Very well. Follow me."
As instructed by the knight, the tactician followed behind him. The camp was for the most part quiet. He could see that some of the Pegasus Knights were up and about. Phila had mentioned that they would be taking charge of being lookouts. The three he could see were most likely part of that shift. They weren't the only ones up, though. He could see Sully already practicing in the distance. Maribelle was having some morning tea. Ricken was writing something on some sort of book that wasn't his magical tome. Lon'qu was carefully sharpening and polishing his blade. And Stahl...was sleeping outside, actually, much to Robin's amusement.
The two of them came to a halt when they reached Chrom's tent. Robin was confused by this. They were supposed to go in. No one would hold a war counsel in the middle of camp. "Is something the matter?" Robin asked.
Frederick turned to face him. "Milord is still asleep. Give me a moment to wake him."
They way he'd come to wake Robin up had made it seem like Chrom had been expecting him for a while, much like it had happened back at the garrison. So then, what was the rush?
"I thought it would be good if you didn't come late again," Frederick explained as he got the hint of what was on the tactician's mind. "If you come here early then milord will start taking the initiative to wake earlier by himself in the future."
"I can't believe you would go through that much trouble just to have him wake up early… I don't know if I should be mad at you for using me, or praising you because your strategy will have a similar effect on me."
"I'm glad you approve. Now, if you would excuse me." Frederick went ahead and entered the tent. Robin thought it would be wiser to wait outside. He couldn't see what was going on, but from what he heard, Chrom was ashamed of himself. He said something along the lines that as the leader of the Shepherds, he should lead through example. Frederick is surprisingly manipulative.
Robin had been waiting outside for a short time when Phila and Emmeryn got there. He smiled at the pair and greeted them, which were both returned full heartedly.
"Are you joining us this morning too, Your Grace?" Robin asked. He'd been expecting to see Phila there as she had knights under her charge to mobilise. Emmeryn, on the other hand, didn't struck him as someone that would want to get involved in war. Then again, she was the Exalt. All decisions, even if she didn't make them, would end up on her conscious, much like everything that went on in combat ended up on Robin's shoulders.
"Yes, though I am not confident that I can bring in much to the table," Emmeryn said. "Combat isn't something that I have much experience in."
"Don't let that bother you, Your Grace. There are times where someone without experience can spot something others cannot."
Emmeryn stared at him for a moment, surprised by his words, before she giggled. "I see that you've been reading the books."
"Just started one yesterday," he said with a chuckle. "I think they will come in handy in the future. I just need more time to focus on studying them."
"I understand. Please, don't force yourself too much, Robin. You are an essential member to this Shepherds."
Robin didn't get a chance to respond, as Frederick came back out of the tent to tell them Chrom was ready. The four of them entered the much larger tent of the prince. In the center of it, there was a big wooden table with a detailed map of the area they were in at the moment. On top of that, there were carved figures that were meant to symbolize them as well as landmarks around the area. Whoever made all that had a very good attention to detail. The figurines were carved to perfection into soldiers, mages, healers, horsemen, and pegasi knights.
"Good morning," Chrom said as he waved them over. "We should get started."
When everyone took a place around the table, the bluenette continued, "I would like us to discuss the route we will be taking today."
"I thought that you'd already decided on that yesterday," Robin commented.
"We did. Sort of. The problem we have here, if you can even call it that, is that there is a fork on the road further ahead. Both paths will take us to our final destination, but there is more to it than that.
"If we take the left path," he signaled the path on the map, "it will take us much longer. However, there are villages on the way that we can stop at to resupply if we need to. It is generally safer there too. Feroxi soldiers are already around the area, keeping the peace."
"I see. But if there are Feroxi soldiers then that means that there is also some danger if we take it."
"Correct. The Feroxi have reported combat with both bandits and Risen. If we take that path, we should expect to fight. That on itself will cost us even more time.
"On the other hand, the right path is much shorter." He pointed to the other path this time, following it as he explained. "There aren't any villages from the point forward, as we would be cutting through a mountain and a valley. Because of that, this path is known to be dangerous. From falling rocks to crumbling ground, there are many ways we could get injured without engaging in combat."
Robin rubbed his chin as he took in Chrom's words. He stared at the map for a while, not aware that the others were waiting for him to say something.
"There's a bigger possibility for an ambush if we take that path," he finally said.
"What makes you say that?" Emmeryn asked.
"Much of the path takes us through the area between a slope of the mountain and the valley. If there's an enemy force trailing us, they could go around and cut us off from the front. Archers and mages could then attack us from defensive position on the slope. We would become easy targets. Even if Phila had her knights go try and take them down, we would suffer heavy casualties."
"I concur," said Phila. "As much as it pains me to admit, if there archers and mages using wind magic, we wouldn't be able to get close to them."
"Do you really think they would go for an ambush?" Chrom asked his tactician.
"If there's someone following us, and if they have the archers and mages to spare, then yes. I would do the same thing if I was the one following an enemy force into such a place."
"Your suggestion would then be to take the longer path, correct?"
"No, actually. I would still take the shorter path."
"You've pointed out the risks of that path," Frederick said, confused. "With the Exalt with us, we can't take such a risk."
"It is true that we run a risk. However, we know there is the chance the enemy force could use such a strategy against us. I can come up with a way to counter it should we be attacked. There's also the fact that we can assume we will only be attacked once on the shorter path, while we could have to go into combat any number of times on the other."
"I see," said Chrom as he himself studied the map. "Then I too say we should take the shorter path."
They continued to discuss the matter for some time until eventually all five of them were comfortable enough with the plan, Robin having given some suggestions as to what they could do to counter his worst-case-scenario ambush. Phila left to pass on the orders to her knights, while Frederick would do the same for the Shepherds. Emmeryn left too, as she'd had other matters to attend to, leaving only Chrom and Robin left.
"When will we depart?" Robin asked as he got one last look at the map before Chrom rolled it up and stored it on a box along with the wooden figures.
"After breakfast, I suppose," the prince responded. "Word to the wise, do not eat whatever it is Sully cooked."
"Why is that?"
"If you want to live, then don't eat it. Trust me."
Wait… Is she trying to kill me?! Robin's mind could only go in that direction. It would make the most sense. The way Chrom had said it made it seem like the redhead would poison his food. Would she really attempt for his life at a time like that? He knew they weren't on the best of terms, but he didn't take her for someone that would stoop so low as to try something as poisoning his food.
"I'll keep that in mind… Thanks." Robin turned around and was ready to leave when he remembered something he'd thought about the night before. He turned to look at Chrom, who looked at him with an arched eyebrow.
"Was there something on your mind?" Chrom asked.
"Actually, there was something. Would you happen to know where I could find Miriel?"
Chrom at first looked at him, eyes wide and mouth slightly agape. His expression quickly morphed into one of mischief, giving Robin the feel that he should be cautious.
"Miriel, huh? I didn't think she was your type," Chrom said with the widest grin the tactician had ever seen on the man until that point.
"Wha- Where is that coming from?" Chrom approached him and place his hand on his shoulder. Robin could only stare back, hoping he would get an answer.
"No need to be so bashful, Robin. Last night, while I was walking around camp, I saw a figure coming out of your tent. I didn't expect you to make a move on Miriel of all people."
"No! No, no, no, NO! You've got it all wrong!"
"Was it Tharja then? That would make more sense."
Immediately, Robin felt a chill going down his spine. "There is nothing between me and Tharja, I tell you! Could you just drop it?" He moved some distance away from Chrom, a light dust of red creeping up his cheeks.
Chrom didn't back down, much to Robin's dread. "Lyn then?"
His face turned that much more red as he instantly remembered what had happened the night before. He opened his mouth to try to protest, but nothing came out.
Chrom laughed and slapped him a couple of time on the back. "I should've known with the way you two embraced each other in Arena Ferox."
"Please, stop," Robin said, cringing. "We kissed, that's it! Don't go getting any weird ideas on your mind."
"If it makes you feel better I can tell you about how I almost kissed-"
"Enough! I don't want to hear more about this. Your love life is as much of my business as mine is yours." Robin didn't let Chrom speak another word. He made his way out of the tent, heading towards where the faint smell of food being prepared was coming from. He was rubbing his forehead, hoping that Chrom wouldn't speak about what he'd said to anyone else. He had yet to discuss the matter further with Lyn. For the time being, he wanted to keep it between the two of them… Chrom already knowing about it was already bad enough.
Suddenly, Robin jerked backwards when someone pulled on the hood of his cloak, hard. He had to fight hard to keep himself from falling. Still, he was slowly dragged towards a small stool near the cooking area, and promptly forced to sit down, letting out an "oof" when he did. A wooden bowl with some sort of...gray goo was pushed to his hands.
"I need ya to eat that," said a certain redhead that he'd completely forgotten to try to avoid. How she'd found him so quick was a mystery. Robin could already feel cold sweat on the back of his neck and the color draining from his face (at least that helped hide the blush.) Whether it was from the smell of the food or the way it looked or who made it, Robin was getting all sorts of death flags raising, telling him to drop the...substance and run for it.
"Well?" Sully said impatiently, crossing her arms over her chest. She was trying to stare him down, brow furrowed. "What'cha waitin' for? Dig in!"
"Uuuuh…" Robin took another look at his "food". He held the spoon that was on the bowl to take a closer look at whatever it was that he was supposed to eat. "N-not that I don't appreciate it, but… Why do you want me to have this of all people?" On the back of his mind he could only hear "poison" over and over again."
"Think of it as a reward for all you've done," she said.
A REWARD?! By the looks of it, it was more like a punishment! But wait… She is finally being somewhat nice to me. Should I go on with this?
"And no one else is willing to have it," she added.
She was using him as a guinea pig. Of course she would. That made a whole lot more sense.
"Are ya gonna eat it or what?" Her piercing eyes made him feel cornered. Taking a quick glance around, he noticed that there was no one that could save him this time. He couldn't help but think that this would be how he met his end. The great Shepherd's tactician that had kept his troops alive battle after battle would meet his end from the terrible cooking of one of his own!
"R-right," he said almost in a whisper—more to encourage himself than to answer her. He had to take a good minute to brace himself for the horrible flavor. When he finally took in a spoonful, he couldn't chew the thing! It was as if someone had force fed him resin. If it'd taken him long to even touch it, it took an eternity to swallow. He would've spittin it out had anyone else offered him the food, but she had a bad image of him alre-
"Oh gods!" Robin clutched at his stomach. The food hadn't gone down well. He already felt like gagging.
"Come on! It can't be that bad. Stop being such a wimp."
Robin looked at Sully, trying to convey his misery. Before having a chance to say anything, he covered his mouth as he could already feel the contents of his stomach wanting to come out.
"...Vulnerary…" he managed to mutter. "Someone give me a vulnerary!"
"Here you go, Robin," the armored hand of Kellam came into view to offer a bottle of the medicine. Robin didn't have the chance to be surprised at the sudden appearance of the iron tank. He quickly took the bottle and ran as far as his legs would allow him. Gods bless that man.
He only returned to camp after having forced himself to vomit and then shrugging the whole vulnerary, something that healers wouldn't recommend under normal circumstances. By then, the better cooks had finished preparing edible food. Robin slumped down near the area the others were eating. Hid lost his appetite, despite having an empty stomach.
"You look terrible," came a voice from his side. He turned to look and, sure enough, it was Lyn's. She was looking down at him, holding a plate with food. "What happened to you?"
"That's not some sort of gray thing you have there, is it?" Robin asked.
Lyn looked down to double check what it was she had. "No, it's just a normal breakfast—toast and eggs," she answered before taking a seat next to him. "Aren't you going to have anything?"
"No… I almost died when Sully had me try her cooking…"
"Why would she have you try it?"
"Apparently no one in camp wanted to have it. Chrom even warned me about it."
"But...I saw Kellam eating out of a pot while Sully was looking over him."
"That poor man… He'll be in a better place soon. His sacrifice will be remembered better than he is."
"Aren't you being too dramatic?" Lyn asked.
"I almost died from eating that same thing. Believe me, I'm not exaggerating one bit. If she ever tries to have you try her cooking, run away. Run. Away."
"If you say so…"
The two sat in silence, Lyn nibbling at her breakfast while Robin just stared into the distance. He would steal glances from her every now and again. He wasn't sure how to proceed after what happened the night before.
"What happened to Isadora?" Robin asked. He couldn't help it. It was the first thing that popped into his mind.
Lyn looked up at look at him in surprise. "She is having a morning training session with Sir Frederick."
"I-I see." Lyn looked at him, probably clueless as to what was going on with him.
"Yo," Gaius said as he walked towards them, holding a plate of his own.
"Good morning, Gaius," said Robin.
"Good morning," said Lyn.
"What bring you here so early?" Robin asked as he looked at the thief suspiciously. "If you were planning on taking my dessert, I don't have one right now. I'm not even eating." Lyn looked at the tactician confused by what he was talking about.
"Nah, they served sweet rolls," Gaius said, showing two he'd managed to get a hold of. "I was just checking in. I've been seeing Princess running around the camp holding a book of some sort since yesterday night."
"Okay…?"
"Pretty interesting, no?" Robin slowly shook his head. Gaius shrugged it off. "Just thought you might like to know." He turned away, ready to leave, but then he suddenly turned back again to look at Robin. "Mind if I have your sweet roll? You're not having it, after all."
Robin sighed and rustled his own hair. "Go ahead. I don't care either way." Gaius gave his thanks and then walked back towards where the food was being served.
"What was that about?" Lyn asked, still nibbling at her food little by little.
"I'm having him look into Lissa. Things are awkward between us as they are, so had to delegate the task of finding out just how much she heard to some else." She hummed in acknowledgement. He was glad that she approved of his technique. Then she pushed her piece of toast towards him. "I really don't think I should have anything."
"Eat it," she said, her tone more commanding and her brow furrowed. "You are our tactician. We can't have you passing out because of an empty stomach. Besides, I put some honey on it. That should help settle your stomach. That's what my mother would do when I was still a child."
Robin waved her off, but was then forced to grab it when she more forcefully moved it his way. "Bossy, aren't you? You did the same thing when we first met."
Lyn smiled at the mention of the memory. "Except this time you aren't bedridden." He would've been had he not drank a whole bottle of vulnerary. "You take care of everyone but yourself. Let me look out for you, okay?"
He looked at her and then at the toast. Finally, he gave in, taking a large bite out of it. It definitely tasted better than anything he'd had until that point. "It's not bad," he said, taking another bite. Lyn's smile widened as she looked at him eating. Eventually, she continued eating her own breakfast as well.
The toast was gone after a few more bites. Too comfortable to move, Robin decided to stay there until Frederick gave the order to put away the tents. He simply enjoyed Lyn's company, even if they were not speaking. He had a strange sense of safety with her around, like when he used to still live in the farm with his parents. He kept wondering about this until he noticed an approaching figure of a blonde. The girl came to a stop a few feet away from the couple.
"Is there something I can do for you, Maribelle?" Robin asked, looking up at the towering figure of the standing girl. She had her parasol on her hands, clenching it tightly.
"Could I have a word with you, Robin?" She then looked at Lyn. "Privately?" The tone of her voice made it sound more like a demand than a request. She was quite the noble.
Robin looked over at Lyn, who gathered herself. "We can talk later, Mark," the greenette said. "I'll go see how Isadora is doing." Robin nodded at his companion. As Lyn was departing, Robin took that as an opportunity to stand up and dust himself off. With that, he and Maribelle were left alone, given them the privacy that Maribelle had requested.
"We have a problem," Maribelle said.
"And what would that be?" Robin asked.
"It has to be because of you, of course. You did something to my darling Lissa, you scoundrel." She didn't let Robin say anything, as she continued, "I've seen how she's been trying to avoid you since yesterday morning. When I asked, she denied it. I know of her good nature first hand, therefore, I can say for certain that you are at fault here!"
Robin wondered why he hadn't asked Maribelle to check up on Lissa before. The two girls were best friends, going back for a long time, as he understood it. But if Lissa hadn't even told her, then what were the chances of Gaius finding anything out? Robin sighed as he scratched the back of his head.
"If you are not going to defend yourself then I will proceed to grant you your punishment."
"Wait. Punishment? I haven't done anything wrong!" His words landed on deaf ears, as Maribelle thought, out loud, of different "fitting" punishments to his crime. "Don't you think you are blowing this out of proportion? There was a misunderstanding between me and Lissa, okay? She hasn't spoken to me since and has been avoiding me, like you said. Because of that, we haven't had a chance to clear things up."
"A commoner like you wouldn't understand someone of noble birth such as my Lissa," Maribelle defended. "Chrom may have given you too much leeway around the Shepherds, but I won't be so kind. Now, as for your punishment, I-"
"Give it a rest, Maribelle. You are blowing this way out of proportion! Don't you think that if something bad happened between Lissa and I someone would have done something about it already? Like Chrom, Emmeryn, or Frederick?"
"...Perhaps."
"Listen, I'm in the dark here as much as you are. If I really did something bad to Lissa, even if I didn't know about it, I'll own up to it and apologize. You can even deal out your punishment if that makes you feel any better. However, until we find out why she is avoiding me, I can't do anything."
"What do you suggest?"
"You two are good friends, no?" She nodded in agreement. "Then talk to her; see if she will tell you what is on her mind. If you find out, come talk to me. The three of us can have a serious conversation about it. I promise."
Maribelle remained silent as she pondered over what Robin had said. He knew that having Gaius already on the case could provide him with the answer he needed. But if he could also convince Maribelle to look into it—to approach the problem from a different angle—then he would try to use of her mother-like protection of the princess to his advantage.
"Your terms are reasonable," she finally said. "I will hold you to your word. Not that it's worth much. But should you come anywhere near my darling before I find out what is going on, you'll find yourself pinned under the point of my parasol, understood?"
"That's fine by me. Now, if you'll excuse me, there are things that I need to do back at my tent."
Truth be told, he had nothing to do back at his tent. He just wanted to get out of there as quick as possible. Maribelle was amongst the few Shepherds that Robin hadn't talked to too much. The reason for that was the same for Sully and Vaike—the condescending tone they used when talking to him. Maribelle's case was different, though. It was always an "I'm better than you" conversation with her—always pointing out that others were of common birth, and assuming they weren't knowledgeable in certain areas because of that. Plainly put, it was annoying.
With nothing else to do, Robin ended clearing out his tent. He folded up the table's legs, rolled up his bedroll, gathered his books and placed them back in the backpack, and finally took everything out before dismantling and folding the tent itself. It wasn't too much work, except for taking everything back to the wagon by himself.
Not long after, some of the others started doing the same thing. Robin, having nothing better to do, went on to help whoever he could see needed help. First were Ricken and Donnel, who weren't tall enough to unhook some of the ropes that were holding up the tent. There was Tharja, who was struggling carrying the tent over to the wagon. Then Stahl, who was helping Frederick put away all the training equipment. Sumia had found an assortment of books that she wanted to take, so he helped her take them over to the wagon. Before anyone knew it, everything had been put away and they were ready to leave—all ahead of schedule.
With things ready, Chrom gave the order to continue the march east. Like the day before, Robin found himself handing one of the wagons, with Gaius, Donnel, and Tharja as his passengers hours passed until they finally reached the fork on the road. Chrom didn't stop to consider what path to take. He'd already set his mind on the shortest one. No one questioned his decision, instead continuing to engage in small talk amongst themselves.
Slowly, the terrain around them starting to change. The flat plains transformed to a rocky slope. Trees started to come into view as they ventured forward. The mountain became more prevalent. They finally entered the area Robin had mentioned—the killzone. The road was wide enough, but the terrain was loose because of the dry environment. Some rocks would roll down the mountain side every now and again only to end up hitting the road and then rolling off into the ravine to their right. The stretch was a long one. Robin had to make sure to keep his eyes open for any signs of an ambush. As an extra precaution, he closed his eyes and activated his Eagle Eye.
He had a good view of the their caravan moving forward in an orderly manner, like ants moving food into an ant hill—they moved slowly, but with precision. He could also look at the river that was down the ravine, its water white from the many rocks that were on it. FInally, and most important of all, he could see the mountain side.
Nothing looked out of the ordinary. He could see a few animals moving around, but nothing resembling humans other than themselves. Still, he felt uneasy. The enemy had attacked the palace before. A scout could easily be following them without anyone knowing of it… Being overcautious, the black mage decided to check further ahead as well. Things looked just as calm, that is, until he noticed a pack of wyverns coming their way.
Wyverns weren't a common sight in Ylisse. On the other hand, there were plenty of pegasi, which is why the order of the Pegasus Knights had been formed. So, seeing a single wyvern was possible, but uncommon. Seeing a pack of them? Impossible. Robin confirmed what he dreaded to think when he took a closer look at the wyverns. They had riders on their backs, all armed to the teeth. Robin pulled back on the reins, forcing his horses to stop pulling the wagon, and everyone behind him to stop as well.
"Chrom!" He called out, hoping the prince would hear him. The advantage of their location was that his voice got carried through all the way to the front. Rest of the Shepherds that were traveling on horses stopped on their tracks when their leader did so and looked back at the tactician. From the look Chrom was giving him, he could already tell why Robin had called out.
"Regroup at the back," Chrom ordered. "We are going to be ambushed any minute now. Protect the Exalt!" Every sprung into action, bunching up around Robin's wagon.
"Captain Phila and the Pegasus Knights will defend the Emmeryn and protect our backs," Robin said in the authoritative tone he took when dealing out orders. "If the enemy is expecting reinforcements, they will be coming from behind us or the ravine. Make sure to take them out."
"Understood," said Phila, not questioning Robin's orders for a second. She went on to regroup with her knights and pass on the orders. She would be defending Emmeryn herself along with two others.
"The rest of us will split up into groups," Robin continued as he turned to look back at the Shepherds. "Panne, you will join the cavalry. With your beast form you won't have a problem keeping up with their speed." The taguel nodded. "You guy will have the most dangerous job—taking the brunt of the first attack head on. Dame Isadora, Sir, Frederick, Stahl, and Sully, make sure to use your lances. You may be able to take some of them down in one hit with enough speed.
"Chrom, Lon'qu, Kellam, and Lyn will follow behind. With their ranks broken and their speed all but gone, you all can take them on in a more even field. You will also take Maribelle with you." He turned to look at the blonde noble. "With your horse, you will be able to move swiftly between any of our injured. You'll have to keep track of your energy. If you can tell they'll be good enough using a vulnerary, then let them do so. We can heal them up after the battle is done if need be."
"Very well," Maribelle said, giving a small nod. "I shall do as you say this time."
"Next, Vaike, Gaius, and Sumia. You will be in charge of stopping anything trying to approach from the ravine as well as providing support to the Pegasus Knights. Lissa will join you too, to keep you all in good health.
"Lastly, casters—Ricken, Tharja, Miriel, and I— and Virion will be taking on the enemy ranged units that will come from the mountain. We have to ensure they don't get within reach of the rest."
Everyone called out in acknowledgement. They all had to know how risky this one fight could be. The war could be lost if they didn't perform extraordinarly.
"Isadora, Gaius, and Panne, come here for a second. The rest of you go take your positions and wait for my signal." The three approached him as the rest moved on, either heading forward, toward the ravine or the mountain. "I'll be casting a spell on you that will let you communicate with me…"
He gave them a quick explanation on how it worked, although he had to point out that they would get a better sense on how it worked only after they'd experienced it. He sent them away when he was done before he joined up with the rest of the ranged group. The wyverns were already in view. Robin immediately activated the rest of the mind links. He could feel how his magic flowed through his body and onto his tome. He'd regained enough after a calm day to be able to do that and even have enough left over to fight.
The wyvern gang reached them minutes after. Instead of attacking them right away, one of them signaled them to stop a distance away. Robin could see as the wyverns came to a halt and the ranged units started coming into view from the mountain side.
Then, from the Shepherds' ranks, a man ran towards the enemies. For a second Robin thought that one of them got impatient and rushed forward. But the clothes of that particular man were ones he'd caught a glance only a couple of times before—the clothes of the Hierarch; a trusted friend to the crown.
"Hold, sir," the Hierarch called out in panic to the enemy leader, to the shock of everyone else. Robin thought that the man was trying to prevent the battle to happen, that is, until he spoke again. "You must be Vasto, yes? I'm the one that has been leaving the messages behind! King Gangrel should've informed you about who I am and that I am to be protected!"
An atmosphere of shock and tension grew as the Shepherds helplessly watched the exchange.
"I was told of a man…" the leader, Vasto, said from atop his wyvern. He flashed the Hierarch a maniacal grin. "But all I see here is a pig and dead men!" The Hierarch, knowing not what was going on, took a step back. "What's the matter, piggy? You tryin' to run back to your Exalt? Traitorous bacon like you should just die!
"You sold out your leaders. Do you know what we do to people like that?" Vasto signaled to axemen to approach the Hierarch. "We kill 'em. Now, be a good piggy and squeal! SQUEAL!"
The Hierarch was frozen. The last thing coming out of him was a shriek of pain as one of the axemen cut him down.
Vasto took a big whiff of the air. "Aaaaaah," he let out all his breath in satisfaction. "That's more like it! The smell of blood is in the air, boys! Now we can move to the main course. Ylisseans! I'll be kind to ya. Hand over your wench of a ruler, the traitorous tactician, and the Fire Emblem, and I'll spare you the agony of death!"
"We will fight until the end," Chrom shouted back. "We will not see defeat here. If you stand on our way, you give us no choice but to cut you down!"
"Cocky dastard! Ha! It'll be fun to gut that one! And after I do, there will be no one alive that won't know the name Vasto! Gangrel will make me one of those lordy types. Come then! Do your worst! I'll splatter ya across the canyon floor!" The wyvern rider raised his axe as a signal to begin the attack. All at once, the enemy forces rushed towards them.
The Shepherds, on the other hand, didn't move at all. They were all ready to attack, with their weapons at hand, but they were all waiting for Robin's signal.
"Hold," he told them all using the mindlink. The wyverns and barbarians were getting closer. The archers were reading the arrow and the mages their spells. "Hold!"
When he noticed that the first arrow fly, he finally gave the order to move forward. The cavalry went full throttle, the swordsmen following behind. Robin guided the casters and Virion towards the mountain, narrowly avoiding being hit by the incoming arrows and different anima spells. "Spread out. We need to draw them closer and make it harder for them to hit us."
Robin moved as best he could to get in good range from some of the casters. He could see that Virion was already shooting some arrows of his own. Miriel was already in combat too. Ricken and Tharja were both trying to get closer too, as they'd been stuck with the enemies that were higher up still.
With sword and tome in hand, Robin casted his first spell. The black sphere-transformed shadow ran up the ground until it reached its target. The tendrils from the Flux spell got hold of the other caster's legs, crushing them. The man, having lost any ability to hold himself up, started barreling down towards him, rolling on the ground like a ragdoll. Robin finished him off with a swing of his sword as he rolled passed him.
With no time to relax, Robin kept on climbing up. With eagle eye, he could see that his plan had worked. Their front was well covered completely, every single Shepherd engage in combat. The enemies were falling, but too slowly. These enemies were well trained soldiers, not bandits or assassins. They had honed their own skills in combat. They wouldn't go down easy.
Robin and the rest of his unit were throwing spell after spell towards the other mages (arrows, in the case of Virion.) Their unrelenting attacks were taking their toll on the enemy. The enemies had the advantage of higher ground, but the Shepherds were cooperating with each other, preventing any attack from reaching them while eliminating enemies at a much faster pace.
Taking another look with Eagle Eye, he noticed what looked like enemy reinforcements approaching from the other side of the ravine. Just as I thought.
"Take care of the rest. I'll go support the Sumia and the others."
"Leave it to me," Ricken said, excited about doing so good in combat.
"Very well," said Miriel.
"Take your time, sir," said Virion. "I shall dwindle down their numbers for the both of us, or I'm not the archerest of archers!"
"Be careful," said Tharja.
Without second thought, Robin turned around and tried to head down the same slope he'd struggled to go up. Fortunately, going down was much faster. He also informed Sumia, Vaike, Gaius, and Lissa about the approaching enemies.
When he reached them, he could see a new face had joined them—a redhead pegasus knight that had seen some combat, judging from the way she was breathing and the few cuts on her body and dings on her armor.
"What is going on?" Robin asked Phila as he ran towards them.
"The border has fallen," Phila explained, cringing. "Enemy reinforcements are coming en masse. We need to finish this fight before the brunt of their force comes our way."
"Very well. I'll go support the front. Have Lissa look at her." There was no time to waste. Robin didn't wait for the captain to give a response. He broke into a full sprint towards the front.
Lyn was already fighting against Vasto in the distance. Seeing this made Robin try to move even faster still, gripping onto his tome and sword for dear life. Lyn tried to land an attack, but Vasto moved his wyvern out of the way. One of the creatures wings hit Lyn in the process, pushing her to the ground. Just as Vasto was about to bring down his axe on the greenette, Robin jumped in, parrying the attack away. Vasto's eyes went wide when he saw Robin.
"...So you are the tritour after all," Vasto said. "Too bad. Thought it was some bullshit Gangrel spouted. Didn't take you for the type."
Robin remained silent, opting instead to talk with his weapons. He quickly caster a Ruin spell towards Vasto's mount. It was a hit. The wyvern fell to the ground, bringing down with it its rider. But Vasto wouldn't go down that easily. The rider jumped off before hitting the floor and stood in front of Robin with axe in hand, the two staring at each other now.
"Lyn, go help Chrom," Robin said once Lyn had gotten up.
"But-"
"This is something I have to do..."
He knew that she would want to help him, just as he would've done had their roles been reversed, but he couldn't do that. After much hesitation and one last look at the dark mage, Lyn left to help the prince in combat.
"Sparing 'er from seeing you bleed?" Vasto asked mockingly. "I'll show 'er your head when I'm done with ya."
"We'll see about that." Robin lunged forward, thrusting his sword towards the enemy leader. Vasto was able to jump out of the way before swinging his axe at Robin's head. The tactician was able to also avoid the attack. The two of them kept swinging at each other, but neither of them was able to land a single blow except against each other's steel when one or the other decided to parry.
"Got some fancy work there," Vasto said between breaths. "But it's not enough!" He jumped towards Robin, putting all his energy on the attack. Robin tried avoiding it once again, but he felt how his flesh was cut by the sharp edge of the steel axe. He was in pain, but the attack had only broken the skin. The warm trickle of blood started to spread across his chest as his clothes were soaked in it. "I'll kill ya with the next one."
Vasto tried to land a hit with the same attack, but Robin was able to look through it. As he'd done during his last training session with Lon'qu, he span around when Vasto was in range, avoiding the attack just. He then kicked the man behind his knee, forcing him to hit the floor. The difference between training and real combat was that instead of stopping himself to finish off the enemy, he pushed his sword into Vasto's backbone. The wyvern rider lost the grip on his axe, letting it fall besides him.
Robin took out the sword from his enemy before rolling him around to face him one last time. In the distance, everyone had seen what had happened. The enemies that remained were fleeing, being chased by Phila's pegasus knights, Virion, and the other casters.
Both Lyn and Chrom walked over to the tactician as they'd seen him kneeling down over Vasto.
"You damned excuse for a man," said Vasto, trying to hide his pain with his harsh words. "Curse you, Rob. Curse you and all those dastard Ylisseans… They killed your family! And you help them?" He spat some of the blood that was beginning to pool in his mouth to Robin, hitting him directly across the face. "So much for family, eh?"
When he noticed Chrom standing behind Robin, he addressed him next. "Ya think this is over, princey? Far from it. Killing me won't change anything. Heh… Right now, our brothers already passed your miserable excuse for a border. Go on, you coward! Hide away! They'll find ya! Flee while your subjects get killed, one by one. Let...that blood...stain ya for life…"
Vasto had taken his last breath, leaving the three in stunned silence. Robin ran his hand over the man's face, closing his eyes as his own started to feel watery.
"Robin, you are bleeding," Chrom said after a moment had passed. "You should let Maribelle or Lissa take a look at it before it gets infected."
"He…" Robin tried to talk, feeling a pain in his heart far greater than the wound he'd suffer during combat. "He was from the village I lived in when I first became an apprentice…" Robin took a shaking breath. "We grew up together until I was taken in by Validar... He was such a mama's boy back then… Didn't expect to see him here."
Robin tried to compose himself by rubbing the back of his neck. He refused to look back at Chrom and Lyn. He didn't want them to see him like that. He was forced to bite down on his lip, hard, so that they wouldn't see it quivering.
He'd just killed his friend. The thought of killing his countrymen had crossed him before. He knew that he would be facing many people that would hate him. He'd braced himself for it. But no amount of preparation was enough to face off against someone he'd once considered family.
He felt Lyn's slender arms wrap around him—her head on his back. He tried to muffle a whimper by covering his mouth with a hand, but that wasn't enough. Chrom too tried to make him feel a little better by squeezing his shoulder, although he eventually left Lyn and Robin be to check on Emmeryn.
"I'm so sorry, Mark," Lyn said, almost like a whisper.
"Yeah," Robin said as he squeezed one of her hands. "Me too."
A little bit of romance here, some comedy there, and just a pinch of tragedy. Man, this chapter is all over the place! It's just how things turned out to be. I decided to take advantage of Vasto to further Robin's background story. What did you guys think? I thought it was a pretty good idea. Plus, it also helped give a little more info about Vasto.
For the romance, I know some of you weren't sure if I would pull the cliche thing of "ah, something happens so they never kiss/confess." I see that all the time on tv, comics, manga, and other stories on here. I know why they do it, you know? But I'm personally a big fan of that. I rather show how they grow as a couple instead of how many times they can get so close only to push each other away. It all comes down to personal preference, I suppose.
Man! All them reviews! I was expecting so many so quick! That was really exciting for me. Now, here we go!
Whatstoknow -Thanks! I'll keep at it for sure. Things are just starting to get exciting. Also, thanks for your continued support :)
potatoman098 -I know, right? Gotta play characters on their classes and personalities too. If Robin could just use both of them...! Hahaha! I know what you mean about Robin x Lyn. I wish the tactician in Rekka No Ken could have supports. Mark and Lyn are cannon for me, no matter what anyone says.
starlightkitsune2178 -...You've given me much to think about... Yes... mwahahahaha! That's something to consider for future chapters. I may be able to find a way to make it work! Thanks!
speedking535 -You know it! Best couple in the house!
Ethereal780 -Choo choo! (I know it sounds like a train, but I swear it's a ship!)
Antiques thief -I had a plan for something like that in the future, actually. I'm pretty sure that in one of the previous games something similar happened and it cause all characters movement to be cut significantly.
werehogdog -Thanks a lot. I hope you approve with what I went with for this one :P
Sugouxxx -Hahahahaha! Well, I think I did what you wanted, heh.
LiamReyas -Okay, this is a long one (not complaining at all!) Really appreciate you leaving reviews on previous chapters as well. It lets me know which ones are doing better, after all. I thought that if I was going to do a novelization, I might as well make it more interesting. Rekka No Ken is still my top FE game, so combining these two made sense to me. Just took advantage of the Lyn's DLC. -Hey, that works too! Sometimes I just read something without trying to pick every minor detail. I think in Gangrel's case in the game it was because he didn't know about Robin. Aversa, on the other hand, who knows why she didn't say anything about him. In the case of my story, I want Robin to be the clear focus of it all, so it made sense to me to have them talk to him as well. -I played the game so many times that I got to use all characters to a certain extent. It also helps that I never was much to keep track of stats and what not *shrug* I'll try to bring in details about the Black Fang more in the future, as the story progresses. This first arc makes it difficult to interlace that original plot in, so there's only so much I'll be able to do until the end of it. That said, I do have at least one big thing coming up related to it~ P.S. I've read two of your stories, actually (Miriel's Love Story and a few chapters of Love, Life, and Peril long before I made an account on FF1) Pretty cool stories. I should keep on reading the latter when I find some extra time. I remember enjoying it a lot back then. Anyways, just wanted to say that too :P