- 'tis good you yet posses the Emblem but why have you only the Lightsphere? Where are the others?'
-'"Lightsphere"? You mean Argent?'
-'Others?'
Several voices spoke and many an Eyebrow was raised at her question and Tiki sighed as she closed her eyes in silent frustration.
-'Much has been forgotten I see. These gems are not mere trinkets, they are objects of great power in and of themselves. Without them the Fire Emblem cannot fulfill it's primary task.'
-'And what is that, lady?'
Tiki studied Chrom for a while before answering.
-'To delay the end times.'
A heavy silence fell as looks were exchanged before most settled on the future children present, Tiki's attention turned to them.
-'You know of what I speak.'
-'Grima.'
Lucina found herself whispering in response, the voice of Naga nodded.
-'That is one of his titles, yes. Your ancestor had manage to cast him back to the abyss a thousand years ago but he could not slay him, no mortal can end his life.'
-'How cheerful.'
Someone commented while Chrom sighed as he spoke.
-'So all we can do is banish him? Can't you do anything?'
-'Or Naga for that matter?'
Someone added. Tiki shook her head.
-'I may be ancient but I am mortal still as for Naga... Naga is but a servant to the creator and must abide his laws.'
She raised her hand to forestall the questions she saw coming.
-'Naga will aid you but to properly use that aid you need the proper bloodline, the Falchion and the Fire Emblem with all spheres present.'
-'So we need to find them.'
Basilio sighed, drawing a hand over his head.
-'Sorry to say but Ferox once held Gules, but was lost long ago. Had I known its purpose I'd have had men look for the thing.'
-'I as well.'
Flavia added with a scowl. Sayri sighed and looked up.
-'Chonshin held Vert though no doubt Walhart now holds it amongst his trophies.'
-'I don't suppose Walhart is the type to give us the gem should we ask nicely?'
Cherche snorted at the question making Stahl sigh an answer.
-'Didn't think so.'
-'One would think that something so important would be held in one place.'
Inigo snorted. Tiki sighed as she nodded.
-'I had attempted to inform your ancestors of that yet with the threat to all gone they immediately fell to fighting amongst themselves and objected to all the spheres and the Fire Emblem as well as Falchion being held by one family and each demanded their share... I have managed to safeguard the Starsphere which I shall grant you but you must find the others as the dark is deepening.'
Another heavy silence fell and was broken by Vaike.
-'Guess that means we gotta kick Walhart till he gives us the stone?'
-'Unless he agrees to give it willingly and leave our Valmese allies alone than yes.'
Chrom sighed. Ricken looked around after this before saying.
-'I'd have expected Robin to say that.'
-'True. Where is the ass?'
As if to answer the question Severa stumbled into the temple near out of breath as all eyes turned to her she managed to wheeze out.
-'Robin... some sort of... attack...'
Chrom was in front of the girl in a heartbeat.
-'Where?'
-'The fountain... that way.'
She had barely pointed the direction and Chrom was off, the others following. A quick moment later they found Robin thrashing on the ground, Noire next to him a look of relief appearing on her face when she saw the group arrive.
-'He just collapsed and started shaking!'
They crowded round, though none got too close wary of his movements. Libra's voice cut through the chaos.
-'Back! Give us some room.'
-'Apoplexy?'
Brady wondered out loud as he knelt next to the man, flinching back at a particularly violent movement.
-'Why does he have a glove in his mouth?'
Someone decided to ask despite the situation. Noire went red as she muttered.
-'I was afraid he might bite off his tongue and didn't know what else to use.'
-'Good thinking.'
As Libra nodded Tharja pushed to the front of the crowd.
-'I'll have a look, see if I can...'
She paused as something forced her to stop, a flash of some memory of something... something dangerous.
-'Tharja?'
Henry's voice sounded nearby, the woman staggering back into the young Plegian.
-'Tharja too? What's happening?'
Someone asked, Tharja, one hand to her head lifted the other.
-'I'm fine.'
She managed to whisper.
-'I'll have a look.'
All moved aside for Tiki who knelt by the man, reached out and hesitated. There was something... familiar about the man. Some aura for a lack of a better term, some feeling, known long ago...
-'My lady?'
She heard Sayri ask, shaking her head Tiki brushed her fingers over the man's forehead.
Pain. A blow as if a hammer struck her and something else something gazing into her, chilling her to the bones as her soul twisted and withered under it's power...
Next she knew she was being supported, several anxious faces looking to her.
-'I'm fine.'
She said, standing straight and looked down to Robin. He lay still, his chest rising and falling in a barely visible manner.
-'My lady, what happened?'
Sayri asked. Tiki looked to the princess.
-'I do not know... but I feel I had encountered something similar long ago.'
She paused and shook her head trying to put together what she had seen and felt only to feel as if the memory had been torn from her.
-'Some sort of power... but I fear this man has only doom before him.'
It was cold.
The cold reached deep into her bones as she opened her eyes, she saw little difference as the darkness was so deep that when she felt herself lift her hand in front of her face she did not see it.
With a sigh she gripped her cloak and drew it tighter round her body as she thought on what to do.
They were like shadows on the edge of his vision, the more he tried to concentrate on them the less he could make out. He glanced around and saw everything, men animals and even the world around him as if it were dim, poorly lit. All was obscure.
-'Robin? You alright?'
-'Fine, just thinking.'
He found himself answering, the voice that had addressed him was familiar and something tugged at the corner of his mind.
-'That's never a good sign.'
Another shade said in good humour, drawing a laugh from the gathered shapes.
-'You only say so because you've never tried it, Grey.'
The shades chuckled while the one he had referred to as "Grey" grew clear. He could see the facial features and the face cracked in a good humoured grin.
-'If you're done ribbing each other?'
He turned his attention to another shade that seeing all attention was to him turned around and pointed in the direction of a fortress.
-'They've underestimated us and left the safety of their walls to take us in the field.'
-'Fortuitous.'
One of the shapes said and he found himself answering.
-'Suspicious.'
The other shape turned to him.
-'You never see the bright side do you?'
-'Every silver lining has a dark cloud behind it.'
Their banter was interrupted before it could continue.
-'Robin! Luka! That's enough!'
They both fell silent. The shade grew clearer now but before he could observe closer his attention was drawn back to the fortress.
-'This is fortuitous but Robin is right to advise caution. Robin you'll take your horsemen and strike first, see if they're planning anything while we follow up.'
He slammed his fist into his chest as he answered.
-'Yes Alm.'
Suddenly the man was no longer a shade but the light grew till he saw nor heard any more.
He was looking up to a leather ceiling. From somewhere he could hear loud voices, the snort of animals and the thud of feet marching unison, the sounds of an army. Closer by he heard the sounds of men talking in hushed voices but all that faded in importance to two things. The first was that he was thirsty and the second was his bladder was about ready to burst.
With a hiss he sat up in the cot, casting aside the blankets, drawing the attention of those in the tent.
-'Slowly!'
Libra called out as he placed a hand on Robins shoulder, a good thing as he felt his head swim.
-'Drink.'
He managed to croak and his squire appeared, leather mug in hand. He took it gladly and drank the heavily watered wine, wincing at the vinegary taste.
-'Where are we?'
Were the first words out of his mouth when he finished.
-'A day's march south of the Mila tree, you haven't been out for long.'
Libra answered as he forced Robin to tilt his head back and looked him in the eyes, twisting the mans head from side to side before nodding.
-'You don't look like you've suffered greater ill during your episode. How do you feel?'
-'Tired and with a bladder about to burst.'
He received enough peace to do his ablutions and pulled on a shirt when Chrom pulled back the tent flap.
-'He asked to be informed the moment you woke.'
Libra answered Robins unasked question.
-'How are you feeling?'
Chrom asked as more people entered the tent, Robin shrugged as he emptied another mug.
-'Fine.'
-'Fine.'
Chrom repeated as he glanced back to the notables behind him, Flavia giving a nod and Chrom sighed heavily before turning back to Robin.
-'Do you mind explaining what happened? There are concerns you might be apoplectic...'
He trailed off, leaving the thought unfinished after all few had trouble imagining what problems could arise from an officer suffering such attacks. Robin sighed and set down the mug carefully before slowly answering.
-'I think I have remembered parts of my past.'
She was running towards the light, the only light in a sea of dark. A sea that rose and threatened to engulf her as it had so many others. It could not be stopped and so she ran and the darkness followed.
It was so close, the light was so close she felt she could reach out and touch it, she stopped running. It was not one light, it was six.
- 'I see you.'
The voice, more felt than heard shook her to the core and she felt her legs threaten to give out as she realized she had failed.
-'Maggots on the corpse of this world. There is no hope here.'
The darkness grew and became a pit of darkest black towering over her.
-'Only death.'
She woke with a start looking around not recognizing where she was.
-'You alright?
Lucina looked to see Nah looking at her with her large, seemingly uninterested in anything eyes. Swallowing the princess looked round to see the camp setting up for the night, tents erected and fires being set.
-'I remembered our last meeting with... with him.'
-'Ah.'
Nah answered as she turned her eyes back to the kettle on the fire, stirring the contents with a suddenly grim expression. They had met Grima only once just before some power, possibly Naga, sent them back in time. The meeting had left it's mark on all of them.
Unrolling herself from the blanket she stood up and stretched, removing the kinks from her body.
-'Lucina!'
She turned to Brady who ran up, out of breath.
-'Robins up, Libra already sent for pa.'
She was off before her brother had finished. The man's collapse was odd and the talk of the small force but what had concerned her were Tiki's reaction to her brief contact with the man.
True the "power" could be nothing sinister but their was enough about it, the fact that it was unknown to anyone alone was a cause for suspicion and she wanted to be there when he was questioned.
As she approached the tent with the lord constables banner a sentry moved to bar her way but on seeing who she was he scowled but stepped aside, letting her pass.
Even before the flap was pulled aside she could hear voices and when she entered the conversation stopped briefly as all eyes turned to her before they turned back to the one doing most of the speaking.
-'As I've said, I can't be certain. All I have are images, scenes playing out before me. Faces, a few names.'
Robin was seated on his cot, the only other seat was taken by her father who leaned in, chin rested on his folded hands and a pensive look on his face.
-'Perhaps tis the result of studying Valm before your campaign? Oft one can see things they had read about when not fully conscious?'
Sayri offered with a shrug, it was Sumia who shook her head.
-'True but I think Robin is right, I mean we have evidence of such a thing around us.'
Eyes turned to Lucina again, taking her slightly aback.
-'What has happened?'
She asked looking from one face to the next, it was her father that responded.
-'It seems Robin has his memories back, or at least a portion of them.'
Of the many things she had thought would happen after the man woke she had not expected that and replied with a simple.
-'I see.'
-'The problem.'- Virion said, -'Is that all his memories pertain to the wars that created the first Valmese empire.'
Lucina stood for a moment as the meaning sank in and when it did she looked to Robin with wide eyes.
-'But that was three thousand years ago!'
-'Exactly, and our friend looks very good for that age.'
Flavia stated, Basilio chiming in soon after.
-'So unless he's a Manakete it means his memories are false or that he's like you and your friends.'
-'Could you enlighten us to how you actually jumped time?'
Her father asked and all eyes rested on her yet she could only shake her head.
-'No, none of us understand the how. We thought we were doomed than there was light, a voice urging us to run and next I knew I was in the woods close to father and my aunt Lissa.'
-'I suppose getting an answer to the question at hand would be a bit too convenient...'
Chrom sighed as he stood from the campaign chair.
-'We'll leave it at that, we all need our rest if we are to reach Steigar quickly.'
A series of heads nodding and murmured agreements met the decision as the notables left the tent. Sayri held back and turned to Robin.
-'If your lord wishes I may look to see what written legends we have available so you may compare your thoughts with what is known about the occurrences.'
-'Thank you, I would appreciate it.'
The Chonsin nodded and followed the others out leaving Chrom and Lucina alone with Robin.
-'That's that. Don't worry too much and rest, we'll probably need you soon enough.'
Chrom said as he rested a hand on the other mans shoulder, Robin nodding in response. Chrom offered a smile before turning to Lucina.
-'Let's go, there's food to be had and rest to be taken.'
She nodded and turned to leave the tent when Robin spoke.
-'A moment.'
Chrom stopped and turned around, Lucina sighed in annoyance at the man bothering her father more and moved a hand to pull aside the tents flap.
-'Princess. Lucina please wait.'
She stopped and turned around, her surprise only deepening when she saw the look very uncomfortable as he sighed heavily and spoke.
-'I apologize. I should not have been so crass with you nor dismiss your claim so easily.'
She held his gaze in uncomfortable silence, Robin coughing before adding.
-'I'll apologize to your friends as well but I thought to apologize to you while you were here.'
-'I see.'
She answered, pulling aside the tents flap and leaving. Next to Robin Chrom sighed before clapping him on the shoulder as he left.
-'Get something to eat and get some rest, we'll talk more on the morrow.'
True to his word Robin found the future children in the early hours of morning as the camp readied to march. The listened to him in grim silenced much as Lucina had showing little emotion making him assume they had been informed of what had happened.
To be fair Cynthia, Owain, Inigo and Noire seemed more like they were inclined to accept his apology while Gerome, Laurent and Nah seemed to be as uninterested in what was going on as they seemed bout most everything.
Not being the most charismatic of individuals his words were followed by an awkward silence from which he simply walked away back to affairs he understood and soon the small force was on the move and he rode to the side to observe the column as it passed.
A lot of eyes shifted to him as they rode past leaving him in no doubt as to word having spread to all. A group of riders broke formation and rode towards him and he quickly recognized who it was by the quality of their armour.
-'Troubles?'
Chrom asked as he reigned in next to him, those in his household forming up behind the exalt, Frederick nodding in passing, Stahl added a smile to his nod.
-'Nothing so far, just making sure everything is going as should.'
-'I see.'
Silence fell, Robin leaning forward to rest his arms on his saddle as the small force continued by.
-'Any word from Duke Themis?'
-'Steigar is under siege. He managed to catch a small force camping outside the fortress and took a barbican in the confusion and has managed to hold it since. Other than that as expected, camps are organized and a palisade has been thrown up to help keep the Imperials locked up.'
Robin nodded and another silence fell, it was when as the rear guard started riding by that Chrom broke it.
-'Any more memories resurfaced?'
Robin sighed and sat up straight in the saddle.
-'Nothing more. A few names, a few faces and certain situations. Most of it without context.'
-'Not even your name?'
-'No.' - Robin answered. - 'Though if it makes you feel better it seems they called me "Robin" back than as well. But what my parents named me? No, nothing.'
He paused and looked to the sky a small smile appearing on his lips.
-'My brother... no, step brother? Foster brother?.' - he paused and shook his head, - 'In any case Grey, someone I loved as a brother, started it. Something about how I was small but vicious like one and it stuck till even the adults referred me as such.'
The rear guard had fully passed and Robin pulled at the reins, kicking his spurs back and followed the column, Chrom still beside him. The Exalt was clearly hesitant but finally found himself asking what was on his mind.
-'What about Clair? When you were out you said the name a few times.'
A face appeared in Robins mind, a smile and large eyes. His hand rose to rub his head, a largely wasted action as his helmet was on.
-'A pegasus rider. I loved her.'
Chrom fell silent for a good moment before he asked.
-'Were you two...'
He found himself trailing off at the sight of the sad smile that appeared on Robins face.
-'She married Grey.'
It was around noon when the column halted for a rest that Robin raised a matter that had been bothering him.
-'So why is everyone avoiding me?'
Stahl choked on his food while nearby Chrom started coughing as the watered wine went down the wrong pipe. As Frederick slapped his lord over the shoulders Flavia shrugged.
-'Avoiding? You're never surrounded by much of a gathering.'
-'True.' - Robin admitted easily, -'But I'm never avoided as if I were plagued either, nor have people fallen silent only to mutter under their breaths as I pass them. Nor have I noticed people warding off evil at my back before. At first I had thought it was about the whole time travel till I remembered that we already have a collection of those.'
Awkward looks were exchanged and it was Frederick who answered.
-'When you fainted.' - Robin winced at the term but did not otherwise interrupt the knight. - 'The lady Tiki tried to help you... she fell back as if struck and said something about a doom hanging over you.'
He finished his report with a shrug, as if apologizing. Robin sighed and rubbed the bridge of his nose.
-'In other words the oracle of the worlds largest faith dislikes the feel of me mutters something about "doom" and everyone goes paranoid.'
-'Simply put, yes.'
Flavia nodded. Robin sighed again while Stahl cleared his throat.
- 'Wouldn't... aren't you a little spooked?'
Robin shrugged.
-'I'm a soldier. If these scraps of memories are to be believed I've been a soldier for near three millennia, what sort of end can I expect other than some "doom". Death on some shitty field as someone faster, stronger or stupid lucky gets the better of me.'
Basilia laughed at that.
-'Truer words were never spoken!'
-'That maybe, but it is still problematic if the soldiers think one of their commanders might draw some cataclysm on their heads.'
Virion sighed leading to a heavy silence.
-'So... how do we go about dispelling this matter?'
Chrom asked, it was Flavia who answered first.
-'Best would be to turn it into a joke of sort, something to laugh about rather than feel threatened by.'
-'Easier said than done. Not to be mean but a lot of folk were a bit spooked by Robin from the start and now this...'
-'There is another method.' Basilio shrugged as he ran a hand over his bald skull. - 'Though it ain't easy.'
- 'And whats that?'
-'Never lose.'
-There! See it?'
-'No.'
Cynthia huffed in annoyance while Gerome scowled, he honestly did not see anything that warranted attention. Sliding his feet out of his stirrups he stood on the saddle and looked again, shading his eyes for what good it did.
-'Well?'
Cynthia pressed him, the Wyvern rider raised his hand to silence her when he saw it. A small cloud of dust, figures moving in and out.
-'I see it, looks like a fight.'
Cynthia beamed as if the fact he had finally seen what she had been pointing out was some sort of achievement.
-'Told'ya! So...'
-'So?'
Gerome sighed as he sat down, Cynthia sighing.
-'So lets go check it out! They might need help.'
-'We're scouts. We scout and report anything out of the ordinary to our superiors.'
-'But...'
-'We're reporting back, if we hurry than we'll be back shortly.'
With that he pulled at the rein, indicating to Minerva that it was time to turn around. Cynthia looked from Gerome to the fight before reluctantly following.
-'Hold! Stay together!'
Stefan bellowed again. Around him what passed for soldiers, meaning those few amongst the sorry band of refugees that had some sort of militant part of their past, steadied at his call.
-'Loose!'
A ragged volley sailed through the air and several more of the things fell though many more kept running forward, ignoring wounds that would have felled a man, for these "Risen" were most certainly no men.
They weren't even that dangerous, so long as they were few and you knew what you were doing as they came at you with no regard for their own safety nor any thought. The problem was he only had a handful of serjants to provide some backbone to the ad hoc militia he had formed and the closer the risen came the closer they were to abandoning the line and trying to take their families and running, and that would get them all killed.
Of course there were always exceptions.
The closest of the risen was thrown back as if struck by a giants fist, it's form falling apart as whatever unholy magic held it together vanished. The one responsible was one of the latest to join their group, one of the youngest and probably one of the most dangerous. She spun round looking for another target and Stefan shook his head as he turned his attention back to holding the group together.
He glanced back to the distant buildings, perhaps there would be a garrison there? Failing that maybe the buildings themselves could serve some defensive purpose, allow them to funnel the enemy and remove them one by one?
He could hope.
A scream of panic made him whirl around and he saw the cause. A new, larger force had emerged from the woods and were now pouring towards them. A few arrows fell among the attackers but the nerve of the militia had finally broken as first individually and then as groups they started running.
Taking a deep breath he drew his sword and lifting it high bellowed.
-'To me! To me!'
That was it. They had broken and they would all die. She sighed in annoyance before drawing on some power tore another attacker apart.
She spat and wiped the sweat from her brow, she was abusing her pool of magic, not having had proper rest or nourishment for several days she could feel herself draining but what alternative was there?
Another risen rushed her and she pulled more power, sending it staggering back, she had to draw more to destroy it. She staggered as the drain was begginning to tell but she stood straight again, she would not die until she knew...
Another risen rushed her, swatting aside her arm, knocking her down. Briefly she wondered why the risen hadn't just cleaved her in half when the creature was above her, hand extending down.
A shout, the creature looked up and collapsed as the blade tore through it. She tried to speak, call the one who had saved her but nothing came out but a dry wheeze. Strong hands gripped her, pulled her to her feet.
-'C'mon! We have to move!'
She nodded, no voice coming through her throat and leaned on the man who half led, half dragged her onwards.
-'We have to get to those buildings, we might be able to...'
His voice trailed off and she saw why. More of the Risen were moving towards them. She closed her and sighed deeply before standing straight, willing what little power was left in her to come out.
The Risen paused and looked up just as a Wyvern landed amongst them scattering them, one falling apart in the creatures jaws.
Elsewhere other flyers, Wyverns and Pegasi struck at the risen, but falling back when the creatures turned to them, confusing them, never making a good target of themselves. Risen do not retreat. They still came at the living with no regard of their own safety and despite their sudden salvation it seemed they would still be overrun when the sound of a thousand hammers falling made her turn.
A column of riders came over the hill and were now moving towards the fight. She could only look on as the horsemen tore through the undead with some awe at the mixture of raw force of the charge and the clinical precision of their movements.
-'Thats it!'
Chrom looked round and agreed with his daughters assessment, it did indeed seem to be over.
Stacks of foul smelling equipment littered the field marking where the risen had fallen mingled amongst the large numbers of bodies, he found himself looking away from those, but the sounds of a father wailing over what he guessed to be the bodies of his family followed him.
Two survivors stood somewhat apart, one leaning on the other. Reining in he dismounted as he asked.
-'You alright?'
-'Fine.'
The boy answered.
-'Tired.'
The girl added. Chrom nodded and pulled a flask from his saddle, handing it to the girl who hesitated but took it and drank long.
-'Who are you, where are you from?'
It was the boy who answered.
-'The people are from a nearby village, fled when these things starting coming.'
-'And you?'
He hesitated and the girl answered.
-'Don't know, can't remember.'
Chrom raised an eyebrow and turned to those gathered behind him.
-'Seems I have a talent for finding amnesiacs in the fields.'
There were a few smirks at that, even Robin chuckled as he dismounted and approached the group, raising his visor as he walked.
-'So...'
Chrom started as he turned back but got no further as the girl suddenly stood straight and said.
-'Father?'
-'No... at least I don't think so...'
Chrom stuttered, glancing back to his children questioningly but the two seemed as surprised as he was. The girl staggered forward and threw herself at a very shocked and somewhat ill looking Robin.
-'Father! It really is you!'
Images swam in front of his eyes, places, people he recognized and yet did not.
-'You okay father?'
The images pulled back and he found himself, one hand pressed to his head, the other gripped tightly by a girl, young woman, who was looking up at him with large eyes.
-'I'm fine Morgan.'
She smiled at that and his vision swam again as images pushed forward, half remembered.
-'So you know her Robin? Is she really your daughter?'
He shook his head and looked to Chrom and the others who were hovering nearby, unsure of how to react. He could not blame them as he himself did not know.
-'I think so... yes.'
He answered slowly, turning his attention back to the girl who was beaming at him. Images pushed to the front of his mind again and he winced at the sudden onslaught...
-'What of... what about...'
He stuttered unsure of what he was saying, Morgan seemed to know and turned to the youth that had been holding her upright till recently.
-'C'mon Marc! It's father!'
Eyes turned to the youth who had lifted his visor revealing a face startlingly similar to Morgan's.
-'I... are you sure?'
-'Of course I am! How could you not be? Look at him!'
The boy gripped his head in a manner similar to Robin.
-'I don't... don't know.'
He suddenly looked up.
-'Is mother here?'
At this Morgan's eye's opened even wider and her hands move to her head, Robin instinctively gripping her tighter as he felt her falter.
-'Mother... right I must have had a mother so why can't...'
Standing in surprised silence Chrom turned to the future children present.
-'Do you know anything about this?'
Lucina and Owain shared a look before she slowly answered.
-'We were very young when most of you... you died but I think Robin did have twins...'
-'He did, I remember the maids talking a lot about them when they disappeared...'
Owain added. Chrom looked from one to the other as he asked.
-'Disappeared?'
Lucina nodded.
-'One of the first Risen attacks... we didn't find the bodies but they were assumed dead...'
-'So we know they are future children and not some bastards he had made before his majesty found him.'
Frederick commented as he rubbed his chin.
-'Do you know anything about the mother?'
The cousins shared a look again before shrugging.
-'Nothing concrete.'
-'So no easy answers than.'
Chrom sighed as he looked back to the lord Constable and the twins, the girl supported by the others.
-'Go with Marc and my men. They'll take you aside so you can rest and eat.'
Robin said, indicating his retainers to approach him as he did. Morgan seemed to grip him all the harder as she shook her head.
-'I'm staying. I want to talk more.'
-'I'll be along shortly I just need to clear some things here.'
Reluctantly Morgan was led away, Robin following them with his gaze as he sighed deeply. Chrom found himself moving and rested a hand on the other man's shoulder.
-'So... how are you?'
-'Odd.'
Robin answered.
-'I see images which I somehow know to be of these two... I recognize their names but everything else is blurred... as if distant and in a mist.'
He fell silent and Chrom stood by for a moment before lightly clapping his shoulder.
-'Well, welcome to the "future children club" at long last.'
Robin smirked at that.
-'We should probably get ourselves organized to march or we'll never reach Steigar.'
Chrom nodded and as if a signal was given everyone moved to their horses.
-'Tis a strange fate, to find oneself a father in such a manner.'
Sayri commented, more to herself than to anyone else but most nodded all the same except Robin who looked to the princess and barked a laugh.
-'Robin?'
-'Fate or doom? What else can a bachelor call the knowledge that he is a father as the doom of his carefree life?'
After that they found themselves reaching Steigar in good time and it was obvious that Duke Themis had been busy. The fortress was surrounded by a ring of camps, each fortified with ditch and fence. Additionally one could see the beginnings of a stockade surrounding the fortress and the camps in an additional ring as well as the beginnings of forts rising opposite the fortress gates. Massive amounts of smoke rose from both the camp and the fortress and they could see men moving around.
A trebuchet had been put together and was throwing missiles at the fortress while others were still being put together. A mounted patrol intercepted the force and were soon leading the commanders to the dukes tent while the rest were led to ground cleared for their camp.
-'Done gallivanting around the countryside?'
Themis greeted them as they entered, a good humored grin on his face that was shared by most of the others in the tent. Chrom returned the grin with one of his own as he gripped wrists with the duke.
-'Aye. Though it was high time we came and won the battle for you.'
There were chuckles at the joke as more people shuffled into the tent, exchanging greetings. The Duke took his place and waved a hand at the field table littered with maps and waxed tablets.
-'There is nothing much to win as of yet. We managed to take some of their men while they were moving into the fortress, seems the enemy found out about their debacle at Xore a bit sooner than we hoped and were in the process of preparing the ground for siege when our advance guard found them moving and decided to hit them. We've taken prisoners, and they've betrayed we face about three thousand men in the fortress.'
There was a collective hiss at this, the prospect of taking any fortifications while outnumbering the enemy only three to one was not a happy one and when the fortress was as visibly well built as Steigar than it became grim.
-'Any thoughts on the number from what you've seen?'
Flavia asked, Themis nodded.
-'I'd say it's closer to two than three thousand but still not a happy prospect. I've got the siegeworks up and we are assembling the war machines, I've also had the engineers look into mining...'
He frowned.
-'Not good. The ground is very wet from all the lakes, rivers and marshland around. Our allies...'
He indicated the Valmese nobles at the table.
-'Informed me the fortress itself had to be built without dungeons because of the saturated ground.'
-'So mining is out. Assaulting their walls?'
Themis pushed aside some of the tablets to reveal a map of the fortress.
-'We're fortunate the locals could give us good intelligence, though we can't be certain the imperials haven't modified the building to counter that. Regardless I would say that an assault would be very costly even if we had triple the men.'
-'No exploitable weaknesses in design?'
-'It's a very well thought out system.'
A silence fell as everyone in the tent looked to the maps as they pondered their predicament. Chrom sighed and looked to his side and was surprised, Robin was leaning on the table but rather than his characteristic scowl he looked vacant.
-'Robin?'
The man blinked, looked to Chrom before looking back to the table.
-'Maintain the blockade, continue preparing the siege weapons. I'll tour the fortress on the morrow to see if their is anything noteworthy, no doubt that has been done but perhaps another set of eyes might note something.'
Themis nodded though Robin seemed not to notice as he closed his eyes and rubbed his head.
-'I fear we'll be forced to leave behind a force to blockade while the rest moves south to keep up the momentum. I'd rather we not be caught between two armies if it can be helped. To say nothing that such a large force squeezed into such a small area near wetlands is a recipe for plague.'
There were nods at this,
-'Very well. I'd say that is all that can be agreed today, we'll decide tomorrow once we've had an occasion to view the situation.'
There were nods at this before officers began filing out of the tent, Chrom with Themis, Flavia, Basilio and Robin amongst the last when a man in Robins colours ambushed them.
-'Pardon milord but your doom is asking bout you and you said you didn' wan'em wanderin...'
Robin waved his hand to show he understood and with an apology left following his retainer. Themis had raised an eyebrow and turned to his son in law.
-'His doom? I heard that right?'
Chrom nodded with a face that showed he did not think much of the matter before stopping as he realized how it sounded.
-'Long story, I'll tell you as we eat. Short story is our lord Constable has his own future children.'
Themis opened his mouth wide and looked to the others as if seeking confirmation, which he received. That still left questions, such as the matter that the man was a bachelor and without a paramour and very little whoring but the Duke decided to ask about something else first.
-'But doom?'
Chrom smirked.
-'He called them that, something about how his care free life is doomed.' Duke Themis joined in the laughter that sounded at that.
-'Father!'
Morgan jumped from her seat the moment he entered the tent, reminding him of a dog who saw it's master. Marc stood by the table with a polite smile of someone who knows they should be glad but did not quite understand why.
-'You were asking of me.'
He stated as he pulled off his helmet. Morgan paused.
-'You were gone for a while so...'
-'I have responsibilities, I told you so. I also said we'd have a proper talk after I was done.'
Though not particularly brutal the words made the girl look as if she were a beaten puppy. Robin sighed in frustration as he wondered how the others dealt with the matter, he'd have to ask them.
"You have to be patient with them, they're children. Our children."
-'Father?'
He started and looked around, he was in his tent, Morgan and Marc looking at him, the girl with concern the boy with curiosity.
He was in his tent so why could he have sworn just a moment ago that he was in a stone room, two toddlers crying and a woman comforting them while scolding him.
His hand rose to his head as he sat down.
-'Father?'
-'I'm fine.'
He answered filling a leather mug with watered wine and taking a long drink.
As there was only one chair Marc sat down on Robin's warchest while Morgan squatted next to Robin, resting her hand son the table. Setting the mug down he looked at them, definitely siblings based on how similar they were to one another. A trait they shared, according to most the others, with himself. The same narrow skull, same thin nose even they manner they held themselves and talked if he were to accept his comrades words without critiscism.
And yet he could swear they reminded him of someone else.
-'So is there anything else you've remembered? Anything at all?'
They shook their heads and he sighed, he should have known seeing as how he was found with a similar problem.
-'Sorry.'
Did they misinterpret his sigh? He looked to them and shook his head.
-'No, don't worry about it. Someone smarter than me told me there is no point in worrying, just live your life with dedication and eventually you might remember and if not it's better to live like that rather than worrying about something you have no control over.'
-'No one is smarter than father.'
Morgan stated with a definitive air that made him smile even as he chided.
-'There are many smarter than me.'
-'No there aren't.'
Morgan puffed her cheeks and looked at him as if she were challenging him to disagree. Before he could say anything however Marc spoke up.
-'Mother was.'
They turned to the boy who had a defiant expression as if challenging them to disagree.
-'Have you remembered anything about her?'
Robin asked instead. Morgan winced and clutched her head as if struck with sudden pain, Robin leaning in instinctively to rest a hand on her shoulder. Marc also put a hand to his head as he answered.
-'Not really. I see her smile, remember her words but not much else... I suppose we were very young when she died.'
-'I see.'
He said, realizing he had rested a hand on Morgans head without even noting when. He removed it leaving Morgan looking unpleased by the fact.
-'Again, don't force yourself. No point worrying about something you have no control over.'
-'You look like your worrying about something.'
Morgan stated drawing her fathers attention to her again. Robin shrugged.
-'I have a campaign to run so there is no shortage of matters.'
-'I... we can help.' Morgan stated looking to Marc as if for confirmation, the youth nodding. Robin looked to them before shrugging.
-'I suppose there is no harm in having another opinion.'
Morgan beamed at this and even Marc smiled.
-'So... where are we?'
Morgan asked and Robin sighed.
-'Steigar.'
The twins looked to each other and seemed to hold a silent conversation before turning back to their father.
-'So when is the escalade?'
It was cold. The faint grey light on the horizon heralded the dawn that had not yet come and a thick mist rose from the wetland.
Dark shapes glided over the palisade and across no mans land toward the fortress where the walls seemed to rise from the water. Pausing when the shape of sentry walked from one tower to the next, moving again when the shape disappeared from sight.
Robin, his children and several of his retainers wore cloth over their armour to minimize noise and eliminate the chance of light catching off metal and now crouched at the edge of the moat where it fell to the lake.
-'Here.'
Marc whispered and Robin followed him and saw he was right.
The descent was smooth, unlike the sharp drop elsewhere and he followed the youth down, everyone freezing when his foot hit the water. After a few moments where their heartbeats seemed to thunder like war drums they moved again and just like the twins had told him Robin found himself wading slowly, to avoid noise, through water and mud that at reached his waist to a line of stakes hammered into the bed.
Mouth dry and heart beating he gripped one and pulled. Nothing.
Sighing he gripped it again and pulled, Marc grabbing it from a different angle and adding his weight to the task. At first nothing happened but then he felt it move. Stepping back he looked to the walls of the fortress or more specifically to their base. Had it not been mentioned before he might not have noticed but as he knew what he was looking for he soon saw it.
Done he gave a hand signal and the group moved back to their lines where sentries waited for them.
Pulling the rag off his helmet Robin turned to his squire.
-'Get to Chrom. Wake him if you must but tell him we need to organize a war council quickly.'
He clapped both twins on the shoulder.
-'We might be able to shorten this siege significantly.'
In the first game the stones in the emblem were artifacts in their own right and had different names, I've decided to show the fact as simply time taking it's toll on collective memory.
Awakening isn't the first Fire Emblem title were a character named "Robin" appeared, the first being Gaiden which was located on the continent of Valm, before it became Valm.
As someone with some affection for the title the concept of somehow "melding" the two Robins was born quite early, somewhat aided by the fact that there are insinuations that "Mark" from Blazing Sword might be Robin implying that such a thing could be possible. As far as I'm concerned it also offers a good explanation as to how Robin escaped notice if he was simply in the same place but a different time...
Future children without a pairing, is that allowed? If I get that far into the story all will be explained.
Again thanks for reading and I hoped you liked it. A thank you to everyone who liked and/or follows this, I hope you still enjoy it.