Pre-Chapter Review Answer Corner GO!
Overlord Duelist - Mags: Wait and see, friend. Wait and see.
The Worldwalker - Mags: PICK A GOD AND PRAY
Tori: BLOOD AND THUNDER!
And now, ON WITH THE CHAPTER!
"So the Captain found you two in a field, and decided to keep you around after giving some bandits the boot?" Sully arched an eyebrow as she sat on her horse, munching on a piece of beef jerky she had pulled out from a saddlebag. "Huh. Could have been a weirder introduction – the Captain has an gift for finding the oddest of people."
"You're one of them, Sully." Chrom shot back to the red-clad cavalier, giving his sister a piggyback. The adrenaline had left Lissa shortly after they had started walking again, and had fallen asleep within a few yards of Chrom starting to carry her. He didn't seem to be complaining, occasionally shifting his grip as they walked.
Sully just grinned at his barb. "Huh! I could say the same of you, and we've known one another gods knows how long." Smirking and nodding at Frederick, she jabbed her thumb at Virion, who was walking and conversing with the twins. "Want me to take Ruffles on ahead? I can let the rest of the group know about those ash-faced freaks while I'm at it." She asked.
Frederick gave a nod. "I do request the twins say with us for the time being, at least, due to the circumstances of their joining. One of your strays, even one who speaks so oddly? I think he'll fit right in." Sully responded with a hand gesture that made Frederick laugh, before turning her horse and trotting it over to the group of three. After a moment or two – and a whap to the back of Virion's head – and the archer was seated behind Sully as she took off, heading in a different direction from the group.
"So where are they headed?" Felix asked, biting back a yawn as he winced at the rising sun. Nighttime marching was exhausting, and he was certain the only reason he wasn't starved was from Solna's stash of bear jerky. A search of his own pockets had the blue-haired male discover a strange tome, one that seemed to hold notes on forging instead of magic. He had wanted to read while they walked, but the fear for Virion's safety around Solna had distracted him.
"Oh, Sully's just taking Virion to meet the others." Chrom said with a shrug, somehow not waking Lissa with the action. "Once we've checked on Ylisstol and such, we'll head out as well. I just want to make sure that what happened last night hasn't reached there too." Shifting slightly, he turned to the twins, giving them a wry grin. "Plus, there's someone I want to introduce you two to."
"Are we there yet ..." The groggy sounding question came from Lissa, who yawned from her spot on Chrom's back. Shaking her head, the blonde rubbed one eye. "Well, at least the sun's up ..." Chrom just chuckled and smiled.
"Up for walking again, Lissa? I haven't had to carry you around like this for years now." The sapphire-haired male asked his sister, who nodded. Kneeling briefly to let her off of his back, Chrom grunted and stretched his arms and back, bones and joints popping. "Why did Maribelle talk you into wearing that crinoline?"
"She fussed at me until I agreed to it." Lissa responded with another yawn, stretching as well. "I'm not fond of it either, but it does catch the odd weapon swung at me from time to time." Lightly slapping her cheeks to wake herself up fully, the blonde turned to Solna and Felix. "Oh, Maribelle's a friend of mine; I can introduce you guys later on."
"For now, we should continue onward." Frederick spoke up from where he had ridden ahead a few paces, horse stopped. "We'll be at Ylisstol in fifteen minutes tops if we press ourselves, and from there get breakfast from a street vendor."
"I can get behind that." Solna commented, reaching into an inner pocket on her coat. "Good thing I saved some of dinner ..." The lavender-haired woman grinned as she pulled a pouch out of the pocket, opening it and pulling out what could only be a piece of bear jerky. "Anybody else wants some?" She offered the pouch around, laughing when Chrom and Felix both dove a hand in to grab some themselves.
"Well, Solna, you're practical if nothing else." Chrom shook his head with a laugh as the group started walking again, the sapphire-haired male walking between the twins to better talk with them. "Between that and the two fights you helped out in, it's a relief that your memory wasn't entirely claimed by … whatever it was that claimed it."
Solna snorted, chewing on another piece of jerky. "Thanks for the compliments, Chrom; Felix's on-the-fly plans are better than mine, or if he's defending something. If you need to plan a strategy in advance, or attacking a fortress, I'm the one to come to. But when the two of us work together?"
"There's very little the two of us can't figure out how to do, let alone win." Felix finished his sister's statement, having pulled out the tome he had found in his coat earlier. "Like I said earlier, two heads are better than one, and twins are notoriously good at being on the same mental wavelength as one another." Solna gave an agreeing nod, making Chrom look between the two in confusion as he had another piece of Solna's jerky.
"You two are twins?" He asked, surprised. "That's … well, you do look like siblings, but the twins deal is a bit hard for me to wrap my head around." At that, he gave a small laugh. "But that might just be because of the different colored hair; the only other set of twins I saw had matching hair colors."
"Well, we're identical in almost every other way?" Solna offered with a shrug, looking between herself and Felix. It was true – barring their sexes and hair color, there was little to differentiate between the two. Both twins sported the same brown eyes and tanned skin, wearing matching coats over their different outfits. Felix wore a low cut, striped top and breeches instead of his sister's tunic and tights beneath a short violet skirt, but apart from that and the sword strapped to his waist, he and his sister seemed to have a similar sense of fashion.
"If it helps any, I think we got the coats as a package deal." Felix offered, waving the arm that he wasn't using to hold his tome around. "So that's why those match – for the most part. Solna hacked the hood off of hers."
"So excuse me for hating having my hair trapped against the back of my neck." Solna huffed, playfully pouting at her brother around Chrom. "Unlike you, Felix, I can't keep my hair short! It looks like a bird nested in it – and it's so thick that even pulling it up like this makes it hard to wear a hood ..."
Chrom just started laughing at the two, shaking his head. "Well! At the least, there's no denying you two are siblings." He said with a laugh. "Gods know how many times I've bickered like that with Lissa."
"Not my fault you're always breaking stuff!" Lissa shot back at her older brother, turning around to huff and cross her arms at him. Chrom just groaned at that.
"Lissa, must you always bring that up in front of every new person we meet?" He grumbled, huffing and letting a hand rest on the hilt of his sword.
"Considering that you even get Emm mad when you do so, yes!" The blonde retorted. "We don't want you breaking any of their valuables, now do we?" Chrom inhaled sharply, as if to respond, but was cut off by Frederick letting out a relieved sigh – it appeared the knight had tuned out the casual conversation, and was looking out over a large city that sprawled out a short ways in front of them.
"It seems that the capital was spared the chaos." The brunet male said, turning in his saddle to the group of four on foot. "We should be there in time to catch the market opening for the day … and fetch meals other than bear jerky."
Solna gave him a wolfish grin at the last part. "Aww, what's the matter, Frederick?" She began, walking towards Frederick's horse. "Felix, Chrom and I didn't eat it all – go ahead and grab some if you want it." Offering the bag, the wolfish grin didn't slip from the woman's face as Frederick's face contorted momentarily, leaning away from the bag like he expected a rat to pop out of it.
"No offense taken, but I'd rather have something a bit more … filling in my stomach." He replied, settling himself and putting on a more fitting air. He was met with a cocked eyebrow, Solna's grin growing wicked.
"You don't like bear meat, do you, Freddy-bear?"
Frederick opted to glare at her, urging his horse into a mild trot. Solna opted to laugh and store the jerky away, following him. Chrom let out an amused sigh as he followed, Lissa falling into Solna's spot a moment later. Felix hadn't looked up from his tome yet, somehow managing to keep pace with the other two while reading. "... What all is in that tome?"
"To my surprise, forging notes." Felix replied, turning a page. "It's my handwriting too, along with some rough sketches and what looks like a list of people I once made farming tools and some basic weaponry from. Mostly farming tools though ..." Biting back a sigh, he ran a hand through his light blue hair. "... And it looks like I was helping my mother with something … if the notes on the last page are any hint, whatever happened to me and Solna did so when we went to get something to help her."
"Nothing more conclusive than that, though?" Chrom frowned, giving the other male a pat on the shoulder. When Felix shook his head, Chrom sighed. "That's … gods, I can't even begin to guess how frustrating that has to be, knowing something's missing but not being able to put your finger on it ..." Lissa gave both of them a sad look, gripping the staff she had retrieved from Frederick at some point during the walk.
"Well … maybe if we just gave it some time?" She offered, blue-green eyes brightening a bit. "I mean, it's only been a day at most since we found you and Solna, so it might just take a bit longer for you to remember everything." Felix seemed to ponder that for a moment before nodding, a small smile crossing his face.
"Yeah, that sounds like a smart idea … Food will probably help a great deal too." He admitted with a laugh, hearing his stomach let out a faint growl. Chrom and Lissa just shook their heads in amusement, the three of them picking up the pace to catch up with Solna and Frederick.
Ylisstol's streets were crowded and happy, various people stopping and chatting with the vendors out in the market square. Children playing ran through the wider streets, dogs barking at their heels as they kept watch. Scattered around the streets seemed to be women in white uniforms and golden armor, talking casually with the citizens from atop the backs of winged horses.
"Woah … this place certainly feels nice and homey." Felix commented as they walked along the main road, a meat and potato-filled pastry in one hand. The group of five had entered the town easily, and had come across a dumpling vendor first to purchase their makeshift breakfast. Chrom and Solna had grabbed two a piece, with Lissa having a much smaller one. Frederick had purchased himself one, but also a few carrots for his mount, who seemed content with being led through the street.
"Everyone's relaxed too! That earthquake must have just been in the forest, thank goodness" Lissa commented with a laugh, grinning. "It's a really nice place … provided you don't get lost if you don't know where you're going." Chrom laughed, and went to respond to his sister's statement when a commotion up ahead made the group stop. A large procession seemed to be crossing ahead in one of the larger plazas, more of the women in white and gold armor on winged horses marching behind a lone figure in green and white.
"Look, the Exalt has come to see us!" An old man called out from near the group, walking forward towards the figure in the green robe. Shielding his eyes with a hand, Felix peered in closer – he could just faintly make out the appearance of a young woman in the green cloak, golden hair parted to fall to either side of her neck in a mass of curls. A golden, halo-like crown rested behind her head, and she waved gently to the people that came to greet her.
"The Exalt's your ruler, yes?" He asked, turning to Frederick. The brunet gave a nod, watching the procession with a protective eye.
"Aye; Lady Emmeryn is her name." Frederick responded. Solna seemed curious at that, arching an eyebrow as she looked at Chrom and Lissa once more. Felix didn't pay much attention to his sister's actions, instead giving Frederick a concerned look.
"Is it safe for her to be walking around like that? Even with a guard?"
"The exalt is a symbol of peace—Ylisse's most prized quality." The knight replied, shaking his head and relaxing a fraction. "Long ago, at the dawn of our age, the Fell Dragon tried to destroy the world. But the first exalt joined forces with the Divine Dragon and laid the beast low. Exalt Emmeryn reminds us all of the peace we fought for then."
"With all the bandits and Plegia poking at our borders, she's a calming presence." Chrom added, smiling as he finished his second dumpling. "With her making walks like this frequently, there's less people calling for war; everyone trusts her to keep a war from breaking out."
"I see." Felix gave an understanding nod as he relaxed, smiling. "Then the Ylissean people are lucky to have her."
Lissa let out a laugh, grinning from ear to ear. "She's also the best big sister anyone could ask for!" She chirruped. Solna snapped her fingers, letting out a noise of understanding as she pointed at Chrom.
"So that's why your name sounded familiar!" She said as the others turned to her, confused. "And I was wondering who that 'Emm' person Lissa mentioned earlier was." Felix's eyes widened, looking between Chrom and Lissa in confusion.
"W-wait, the Exalt's your sister!?" He yelped, pointing at them both. "That means you're –"
"The prince and princess of the realm, correct." Frederick nodded, a wry smile coming across his face.
"But you said you were shepherds!" Felix protested, throwing his hands up in the air, almost dropping his half-eaten pastry. "And plus, barring the strange cape, Chrom doesn't really strike me as a noble! No offense, sire."
Chrom shook his head and waved it off with a laugh, grinning. "None taken, and please, don't bother with the sire stuff; I've never been one for formalities. And we are shepherds, in a sense … we just have a lot of sheep." He chuckled the entire time, watching Solna as she circled him to stare at his bare shoulder. The lavender-haired woman poked at the mark there, a darker tone against his skin. "Yes, Solna?"
"Oh nothing, just feel kinda stupid for not figuring it out sooner – that's the mark of the Exalt, right?" She asked, to which Chrom nodded. "... Yeah, now I feel dense."
"You mean that's not just a tattoo?" Felix seemed even more baffled, actually dropping his pastry in surprise. "I mean, it's probably a silly thing to think in hindsight, but I mean – Solna has tattoos! Is it so strange for me to make that leap of logic?"
"No, but it does make you seem very silly, dear brother." Solna laughed, earning a scowl from Felix as Chrom and Lissa both giggled. A second later, however, Felix groaned.
"But if you two are royalty … Gods, I drew a sword on the prince and princess's retainer!"
"To give you massive amounts of credit, you did not strike." Frederick pointed out, glancing back at the procession – Emmeryn had knelt down to greet several children that had run up to her, smiling the whole time. Returning his gaze to Felix, he gave him a wry smile. "Besides, it was noble of you to protect your younger sister."
"Solna's the older twin, actually." Felix countered automatically.
"And you're being semantical; we're a half hour apart." Solna rolled her eyes. "The point of the matter is you're not in trouble, so please stop being the exalt of dramaland."
Felix just kicked the remains of his dropped pastry at his sister.
Ylisstol castle was a grand structure both inside and out, the interior a pale golden color with marble floors. Felix and Solna looked around in awe as they followed Chrom, Lissa, and Frederick, hurriedly finishing off their dumplings – Solna had forked over her second one to Felix after they had started walking towards the castle. Up ahead of the group was Emmeryn, talking with a pale-haired, red-eyed woman in uniform before she spotted the group's approach. A smile crossed her face, and she turned to them. "Welcome home, Chrom, Lissa." She said, voice gentle. "And it is good to see you too, Frederick. How fared you all?"
Chrom gave his older sister the most relaxed smile either twin had seen. "Well, we certainly won't have bandit problems. Our people are safe, but Southtown is in need of some aid – we caught bandits from Plegia putting the place to torch. Nobody was injured, mercifully enough."
The woman beside Emmeryn gave Chrom a crisp bow. "Forgive me, Milord; I should have asked my Pegasus Knights to patrol that border more frequently." She said, voice formal and commanding. Chrom just shook his head.
"No, it's alright, Phila; your place is here, helping the Exalt." He reassured the woman, before shifting slightly to let Emmeryn and her companion get a good look at the twins. "Besides, these two were a great help – they made sure to help keep the citizens safe." Felix and Solna both snapped to attention, both twins executing bows of greeting at the same time. "... Alright, perhaps you two are twins ..." The sapphire-haired male said as he shook his head before turning back to Emmeryn. "They're Felix and Solna, twins that Lissa, Frederick and I found in the fields outside of Southtown. They helped fight off the brigands quite bravely, without being asked; I've decided to make them Shepards."
Emmeryn gave the twins a soft smile, Felix meeting her gaze – her eyes seemed more green than Lissa's, but he didn't feel anything but gentleness from them. "Well then, Felix and Solna, it seems we owe you a debt."
Flushing, Felix rapidly shook his head. "N-not at all, milady!" He replied, trying to keep a grip on his composure. Solna seemed to fair better, giving another bow.
"If anything, we owe your brother a debt, milady. Who knows where the two of us would have gone if he hadn't found us out there." She replied, nodding at Chrom. A frown crossed Frederick's face, and he cleared his throat.
"What has not been said, however, is that we are not aware of where they originated. Their memories seem to be quite spotty, as if they're inflicted with amnesia, and Lissa mentioned them both sporting severe injuries." He said once Emmeryn had shifted her gaze to him. "While the two of them seem to hold no ill-will, I cannot personally rule out the possibility of them having been bandits … let alone Plegian spies."
Solna and Chrom both shot Frederick a glare. Not wanting to risk his sister's mouth getting them into trouble, Felix elbowed her. "Frederick's right – we really don't remember much of anything, save for fleeting memories of our mother, but I highly doubt we'd been sent to spy on anyone. Walking around in broad daylight and making no attempts to hide ourselves is unlikely to be the norm for such endeavors."
"And Chrom brought you to the castle." Emmeryn added, voice still serene. "My brother has good instincts if nothing else." Her gaze shifted to Chrom, who seemed to pick up on the unspoken question.
"Both of them risked their lives for our people without question – Solna even knocked me out of the way of a mage's attack." He told his sister, smiling. "That's good enough for me."
Emmeryn nodded, her smiling growing a fraction. "If they have earned such faith from you, Chrom, then it is only fair that I offer them my own as well." The Exalt gave Frederick a polite smile as well. "But, I do thank you for your vigilance, Frederick. I hope Chrom and Lissa are thankful for such a tireless guardian."
"They express something akin to gratitude, from time to time." Frederick's response was followed by a slap from Lissa, which the knight ignored. Solna bit laugh a laugh at both the statement and Lissa's reaction, which earned her a glare from Frederick. Emmeryn seemed amused.
"At the least, you seem to have found someone who isn't intimidated by you." She remarked, earning an eyeroll from Frederick.
"To be quite frank, I am quite certain there are dragons who wouldn't intimidate Solna." The brunet knight replied, giving the lavender-haired woman a sharp look.
"If it makes you feel any better, the thought of your armor turning into scales and you breathing fire is quite entertaining. … And fitting." Solna shot back, earning a groan from Felix as he buried his face in his hands.
"Gods, Solna, what am I going to do with you ..."
"Now you know why I thought you were the older twin." Chrom patted his friend on the shoulder before turning to his sister and Phila once more. "But, back to more pressing business, Phila, has word reached you about any ash-faced monstrosities?"
Phila gave a nod, mouth turning into a tight frown. "Yes I have; several of my best squads came into conflict with them over the past twelve hours. None of them have fallen yet, but we should still be diligent in stopping them before they become too much of a threat. We do not need such foul creatures running about with Plegia poking at our borders."
"We were about to hold council. Chrom, if you and Frederick would join us?" Emmeryn's question earned a nod from Chrom, and ended the glaring competition between Solna and Frederick as the knight nodded, stepping towards Chrom. Lissa took the moment to slip between the twins, grabbing each of them by an arm.
"That's our cue!" She grinned, starting to drag them off. "We'll see you later, Chrom! I'll show the twins to the rest of the group." Chrom laughed and waved at his sister as she took off with the twins in tow, not giving them a chance to fight back.
About twenty minutes later, Lissa had lead Felix and Solna to a large, wooden building just outside of Ylisstol's city limits. A couple of horses were kept in a picketed piece of land nearby, which turned out to be Sully's grey horse alongside an unfamiliar bay when the trio were close enough to look. Lissa didn't hesitate, letting go of the twin's hands to run up to the double doors at the front. Turning around, she grinned. "Well, here we are! Hopefully everyone will be here to meet you." She said, beaming.
"... Here we are, but ..." Solna began, frowning. "Where are we, exactly?"
Lissa's grin only grew more, and she spun around to grab the door handles. "The Shepherds' garrison!"
Pulling the doors open with a surprising amount of strength, the blonde princess smiled as she turned back around to see the stunned looks on the twins' faces. Giggling, she reached out and grabbed their arms again, and tugged them into the building before they regained enough of their senses to walk normally while looking around.
The 'garrison', as Lissa had called it, was large on the inside, the main hallway sporting two that branched out a short way out of the entry hall. A glance down them showed several doors, some open while others remained shut, potentially sleeping quarters or such for the group. The main hall continued to a second set of double doors, banners boasting the standard of the haildom hanging from the walls. Windows of all sizes let in the light, some of them propped open to let in a cool breeze.
Shutting the doors, Lissa grinned and headed for the double doors down the hall. "C'mon, if the others are here, most of them are probably in the mess hall." She said with a grin. "I can give you two the grand tour later, but for now, let's get you guys settled in and introduced to people!" To their credit, neither Solna or Felix seemed worried as Lissa nudged one of the new doors open, letting them enter the mess hall.
Various long tables filled the room, covered with various tomes and papers, along with the random weapon here and there. Right away, the twins noticed a tanned, blond man in leather armor, breeches and boots leaning back in one chair, grinning as he talked to a young, brunette woman in maroon clothes as she set about sharpening a spear. A large man sat some distance away in orange-accented plate armour, eating quietly, as if the others didn't notice his presence. All three of them looked up as the door opened, watching Lissa and the twins as the princess led the newcomers to the center of the room.
"Ah here we are!" She said, turning to Felix and Solna once more while grinning. "Home away from home! It's nice enough, really."
"Lissa, my treasure!" A new, feminine voice made Solna blink and step aside as a pink and yellow blur shot past, forming into a blonde woman in pink clothes tackling Lissa. To the princess's credit, she didn't fall over from the force of the tackle, instead catching her unseen assailant as the three who had presently been seated got up and approached.
"Oh, hey, Maribelle!" Lissa chirped happily as the pink-clad girl stood up straight, earning a huffed look from the other.
"'Oh, hey' yourself!" 'Maribelle' replied in a huff, patting Lissa over as she did a walk around, as if looking for any injuries. "I've sprouted fourteen grey hairs fretting over you!"
Felix leaned into Solna, elbowing her lightly. "... I thought Lissa had Frederick for a nanny." He muttered in his twin's ear, earning a jab to the ribs as Solna snorted in amusement. Nobody else seemed to have heard, as Lissa just laughed and gripped her friend's shoulder.
"Aw, you worry too much. I'm fine!" She reassured the other blonde, grinning. "Although, I could have done without the bugs and the bear barbecue ..." She groaned as an afterthought, shaking her head. Maribelle looked ready to fret more when the tanned man opened his mouth.
"Heya, squirt, where's Chrom?" He asked, grinning and stepping forward more. "I bet he had trouble out there without Teach and his trusty axe!" Lissa opted to roll her eyes, turning to Vaike while the large man in armour wandered off.
"So you're 'Teach' now, Vaike?" She queried, propping her hands on her hips. "Hehe, and here I thought people were just born lacking wits – I didn't know it could be taught!"
It was Solna's turn to lean in to her twins ear. "I'd say Frederick's a horrible influence on her, either way." Felix, in turn, jabbed his sister in the ribs, fighting off laughter as a smile crossed his face. Maribelle seemed to have noticed, as she turned to the twins in confusion.
"Hah, you can count on Vaike!" Vaike seemed to miss the jab, laughing for a good moment before pausing. "Wait ..." Before he could say any more, the brunette had cleared her throat.
"Beg pardon, but when will we see the Captain again?" She asked, drawing Maribelle's attention to her. The pink-clad girl shook her head in amusement.
"Poor Sumia." She said, smiling at the brunette. "She's been besides herself with concern. Her eyes kept scanning the horizon during practice this morning; she might have earned fewer bruises blindfolded!"
The newly named Sumia fretted a bit, a trace of pink shooting across her face. "W-well, he's our Captain and the prince! I can't help but worry."
"Aww, that's sweet of you, Sumia~" Lissa giggled, joining in with Maribelle's giggles. The large man in armour reappeared at that point, carrying a couple of drinks. He looked ready to set them down on the table when Felix and Solna each held out a hand in offering, clearly catching him off guard – the drinks were still handed over with a smile, the large man walking off just a short ways as Vaike turned to the twins.
"Huh? Lissa, who're the strangers?" He asked, bringing attention back to the twins. Lissa grinned and skipped over to them, bouncing to one side and gesturing to them with both arms.
"Tadaaaaaa~ Let me introduce the newest Shepherds!" She grinned, eyes bright as she pointed at Felix. "This is Felix, and the lovely giantess over there is his twin sister, Solna."
Solna made a noise in protest as she took a sip of the drink given to her. "Hey, I'm not that tall!" She pouted, only to pause and look at Felix. "I'm not, am I?"
Lissa gave her a flat look. "Solna, if I stood right against you, I could use your chest as a pillow." The blonde princess deadpanned.
"It makes her easy to keep track of in a crowd, at least." Felix piped up, grinning at the way his twin hit him with the hand not holding her drink. "Don't mind her, she … tends to forget she's that tall compared to other women; we think it's just a thing from us being twins."
"Knowing you two, it wouldn't be surprising." Lissa laughed before shaking her head and grinning. "Anyway, we ran into these two around Southtown, and Chrom's elected to make them our tacticians. You should see all the tricks they have up their sleeves!" Grinning and giggling, she turned to the twins, who once again gave their synchronized bow in greeting.
Vaike laughed again. "Tricks, eh? Can either of them do this?" As he finished speaking, the tanned man let out a loud belch. Maribelle looked about ready to hit him in sheer disgust when Solna belched herself. The lavender-haired woman rapidly covered her mouth when the others looked at her, the tall woman's face a vibrant shade of pink.
"I swear to all the gods that was unintentional." She said hurriedly. "I had a lot to eat on the way to Ylisstol." Although Maribelle still seemed a bit put-out, she seemed less likely to blow up at the other woman, instead rounding on Vaike again.
"That was abhorrent!" She scolded, clearly not caring that her head came up to Vaike's shoulder. "Must you baseborn fools fill the air with your buffonery? At least show some tact and mannerisms like our newcomer here!" Gesturing at Solna, Maribelle let out a huff and approached the twins, looking them over. "It's nice to see people cut from finer cloth joining our ranks, although I hope you forgive Vaike for his atrocious manners. I'd love to stay for chitchat, but I must fetch some fresh air after such a vulgar display." The twins watched Maribelle leave, eventually turning back to the others.
"Okay, who got her smallclothes in a knot?" Felix sighed, rubbing his forehead.
"Ah, don't take it to heart." Sumia gigged this time, shaking her head. "Maribelle warms to people slowly."
"Or burns too quickly!" Lissa added with a laugh, grinning. "But yeah, just give her time." Grinning more, she twirled in spot. "Anyway, if you want, we can give you the grand tour while Chrom's still talking with Emm –"
"The tour will have to wait, Lissa." As if summoned by his little sister's voice, Chrom entered the room to stand beside the twins. The blue-haired man grinned at them as Lissa, Sumia and Vaike all focused on him, Sumia's face lighting up a fraction.
"Captain!" She stated as she started moving forward, voice both relieved and happy. Anything else she would have gone to say was cut off as she somehow slipped over what appeared to be nothing, face planting ungraciously onto the wooden floor. Solna arched an eyebrow, walking forward to see what the woman had tripped over while Felix walked over to where the large man in orange armour was now standing.
"So," the male tactician asked, taking another sip of his drink as the armoured man looked down at him, "who're you, and how does everyone else here seem to miss someone of your size in orange?"
The large man seemed surprised, but a smile spread over his face and he let out a quiet laugh. "Heh, it's something I've wondered about for quite some time now myself, but it doesn't seem to work on you," He replied. "Or your sister either, for that matter. I'm a bit surprised, but it's nice to know someone looks my way once in a while." Pausing, he laughed. "Ah, yeah, I'm Kellam."
Felix grinned and nodded. "Alright, Kellam, I'll let Solna know your name too," He began, only to stop when he saw Chrom shift to stand more formally. "... Seems like Chrom has news." Kellam nodded, the two of them focusing on the sapphire-haired prince as a serious look stole over his face.
"Alright, everyone, listen up – we'll be heading out for a march tomorrow morning to Regna Ferox." He announced, earning a curious look from Solna as she finished up the drink that Kellam had handed to her.
"Regna Ferox?" The lavender-haired woman asked, setting the empty mug on the table nearest her. Sumia gave a nod, the brunet woman rubbing her forehead a bit from where she had impacted the hardwood floor.
"A unified country to Ylisse's north." She offered, nodding after she was certain her forehead wasn't bruised. "It's apparently a nation that's populated by barbarians, or so I've heard some of the other Pegasus Knights say."
"A nation populated by warriors is what they are, and we'll need their strength to deal with the new threat that's appeared." Chrom continued, looking around the room. "I assume Sully told everyone here about the strange creatures that we encountered last night, yes?" When he received nods of confirmation, he nodded. "Well, while we don't know exactly what they are, the council has decided to call them Risen. If we were just having to deal with them, it wouldn't be a matter of contacting Regna Ferox. But with Plegia poking at our borders ..."
"The Exalt wants a bit extra insurance in case it gets to the point of everyone being overwhelmed." Solna finished with a nod, crossing her arms over her chest. Felix mirrored his sister's pose, nodding.
"And since Plegia's being a nuisance, your sister's worried that her leaving to request aid herself would cause a panic in the populace." He continued, building off of what Solna had started. When Chrom nodded, the twins flashed one another grins. "Well, it's a smart move, from many angles. I doubt Plegia will be willing to cause much of a problem if they find out you have more muscle backing you up."
"Exactly, and since Emm can't leave the capital, the task has fallen to the Sheperds." Chrom nodded and looked around again. "This mission is completely voluntary, so if anyone –"
"I'll volunteer!" Lissa chimed up instantly, grinning.
"Me too; you'll be needing ol' Teach along for such a delicate mission." Vaike gave Chrom a wolfish grin, making Solna shake her head in amusement.
"I'll come along too!" Kellam called out from where he stood beside Felix, who nodded and gave the orange-clad knight a thumbs up.
"Gotcha – I'm sure Solna and I can keep one eye at you to make sure we don't leave you behind." The blue-haired tactician turned away after he spoke, and missed the look of joy that crossed Kellam's face at his statement. Solna seemed to have caught it though, because she also winked and gave the knight a double thumbs up of her own.
"Umm … I ..." Sumia had raised her voice, but everything about her screamed uncertainty. She was wringing her hands together and had bitten her lower lip, face concerned. "It's just that … I'm not sure I'm quite ready for a proper mission yet. I feel like I'd just get in the way on the battlefield." Chrom gave her a sympathetic look, blue eyes softening.
"Well, you could just stay behind the main group at first, and if a battle is met, just watch and learn?" He suggested, making Sumia's gloomy face brighten a bit. Chrom seemed to notice his suggestion was appealing, because he smiled a bit in support. "It's your choice, of course, but some lessons can only be learned on the battlefield."
"If you think it wise ..." Sumia's voice carried a bit more hope, and Felix gave Solna a look. The lavender-haired twin nodded, examining Sumia during the exchanged. It seemed that the brunette woman was the newest recruit to the Sheperds, barring the twins themselves. Her nerves seemed to stem from that, but the fact that she had tripped over what appeared to be nothing but air was more than likely a factor as well.
Chrom didn't seem to notice such, because he just offered Sumia another smile. "Just stick close to me, and you'll be fine, alright?" The brunette woman seemed to perk right up at that, because she nodded rapidly, smiling broadly.
"Oh, ye – I mean, yes sir, I'll do just that!" Sumia caught herself mid-sentence, but why she corrected herself like she did, the twins couldn't tell. Chrom didn't seem to mind it, letting out a smile and a nod as he looked at both Felix and Solna.
"So, while we're here, let's get you two some rooms. I imagine sleeping in a bed at least once before we head out to march will do you two a few favors." He said, nodding. "If you two don't have anything to fuss over, it's probably a safe bet that we can get you a room picked out to better settle into when we return from Ferox."
"Sully's new friend got settled in as well." Vaike offered, laughing. "Weird guy – Maribelle threatened to dump tea in his ruffles if he kept makin passes at her."
Chrom laughed before looking around. "On the subject of friends, can someone let Stahl know about this? I saw him helping Rosemary settle into the chef's quarters at the castle, but Frederick and I didn't get a chance to flag him down and inform him."
"No need – Sully said herself that she'd run and inform him." Frederick said, announcing his presence as he entered the barracks proper. Virion was with him, looking around the barracks with a critical eye. "For today, we should prepare and stay close to the barracks. We need to make sure that our gear is in good shape for the march."
"And with that, I have a question," Felix spoke up, raising a hand, "is there a forge here?" Silence answered the question as the others all looked at one another in confusion. Uncertain over whether or not this was a good sign or not, Felix continued, "I mean, you talk about keeping up the maintenance on your weapons and armor, so even if there's not a blacksmith here, shouldn't there at least be a forge?"
"Well, I don't think we've ever had a proper blacksmith attached to the Shepherds," Chrom admitted, shaking his head. "I'm certain that there's a room we could convert into a forge for your use, though. Since I assume you wanted to see if that tome of notes is really yours, or just something you got at a discount price with the coat."
"Oh, no, Felix knows how to smith." Solna interrupted, nodding her head. Lissa turned into her in surprise.
"Huh? You remembered that?" The blonde's eyes lit up in excitement. Solna gave her a nod, offering a shaky smile back.
"Yeah … it's … really kinda fuzzy, but I do remember that – it was part of how we made a living, apart from Mother being the village healer." She admitted, rubbing her head. "And … a wyvern? That's what confuses me the most – why would I remember a wyvern?"
"Perhaps it was your father's?" Sumia offered, tilting her head to one side.
Both twins let out a sigh. "No ..." Solna shook her head, "it was just us and our mother for the most part. Never met our father, so even if our memory wasn't so futzy, I don't think I'd know his face."
Chrom and Lissa both grew solemn at that, but refrained from commenting. Turning back to Felix, Chrom nodded. "Why don't we try and locate a room to serve as a forge, then? It's not likely we'll be able to get it fully up and running before we march in the morning, but at least we can get it established." Felix nodded, waving to Kellam as he and Chrom headed out of the main doors and down one hall.
Sighing when he was sure they couldn't be overheard, Felix gave Chrom a look. "Okay, I don't know how or when Solna and I can pay you back, but –" he began, only to be cut off by Chrom holding a hand up, silencing him.
"Don't worry about it – I never expected you and your sister to pay me back." The prince said, voice firm. "You two were in need of help, so I helped – that's all there is to it. I'm just relieved you two are willing to stick around." Chuckling, Chrom nodded as they reached a new hallway at the end of one of the two main ones, branching off at an angle. "This hallway's where our gear and weapons are stored; if we find a forge – or a room to make into one – it would make the most sense for it to be down here. It's a safe enough distance away from the rest of the barracks to avoid fires."
Felix nodded, looking down the hallway. "Practical – are the main halls sleeping quarters, then?" He asked as they headed down the hall, glancing over his shoulder. When Chrom nodded, the second man gave a nod. "It's probably a safe bet to say that it's segregated by gender, then?"
"Yes, but since you and Solna are siblings, the rules are a bit more lenient." Laughing, Chrom opened a large door on the right. Before him and Felix stood an array of weapons and armour, all sorted neatly on racks and hangars, with the suits of armour supported by mannequins. "This is … well, this is the main armoury. Our mages tend to keep their tomes in their rooms with them, as do the healers." The prince explained with a nod, looking around. "I … don't think we have enough room in here to establish a forge, but at the least, this is where most of what you make would be stored."
"Good to know." Felix nodded as he looked around as well, taking tally. "Everything looks like it's in good condition, at least – I can probably just work on fixing up anything that really needs it before starting up a surplus."
"Haha!" Chrom grinned as they left, heading down the hallway again. "At the least, you're prepared to pitch in where you can, spotty memory or not." At that, he paused, dark blue eyes focusing on Felix's russet ones for a moment. "... That's odd – it just occurred to me that your sister seems to remember more about you than you do." He commented, stopping. "Perhaps the reverse also applies?"
Felix thought for a moment before nodding, voice distant. "Yeah … I do remember a few things about Solna; I have no clue where her deal with lightning comes from, but I do know the reason behind the wyvern she mentioned." His eyes saddened a bit, shaking his head. "There was a wyvern courier that visited us often. I … don't remember his name, and his face is fuzzy, but I do remember that we knew a wyvern courier."
"That's something, at least." Chrom nodded, resuming his former pace. "And wyvern couriers tend to operate on their own terms, so they're not too uncommon in Ylisstol either." Smiling easily, the prince chuckled. "Perhaps seeing him face to face might jog your memory further."
"Perhaps." Nodding, the other male let out a sigh. "It's still frustrating … but maybe I just need sleep." Walking alongside Chrom, Felix paused as another thought came to him. "Well, there is one thing about Solna I recall." Seeing the puzzled look Chrom gave him, the lighter-haired male let out a small laugh. "... She's not allowed to use wind tomes in combat – the last time she tried, she made a localized twister."
"... Well, unfortunately, wind magic's the most common in Ylisse." Chrom sighed. "Let's hope that thunder tome of hers holds out until we can get her another ..."
Over in the mess hall, Solna let out a sneeze while talking with Lissa. "... Felix is probably talking about me again." The lavender-haired woman groaned, shaking her head. Lissa let out a giggle, hopping onto a nearby table to sit.
"Well, isn't that just what brothers do?" The blonde pointed out, swinging her legs back and forth. "Older brothers are reallybad at that, just saying ..." Groaning, Lissa then launched into another giggle fit. "But at the same time, Chrom's the middle child, and the only boy. I suppose he has a bit more leeway to gripe and worry after me and Emm."
"So that .. kinda answers a question I had." Solna said, leaning back against the table Lissa sat at. "It was puzzling me that the Exalt was female, but if Chrom's younger than Emmeryn, it's safe to say that the crown goes to the oldest child then."
"I guess – I'm only turning sixteen in a month, so I couldn't tell you for sure." Lissa shrugged. "Chrom's four years older than me, and Emmeryn's six years older than him ..." Solna let out a low whistle.
"Felix and I are late birthdays – November. We'll turn twenty this year … I think." Laughing weakly, the tactician shook her head and grinned. "So, care to explain how your brother is able to walk around looking like Prince Fashion Disaster?"
Lissa stared at Solna for a long moment before letting out a snort of laughter. She was joined by a more polite laugh, making Solna turn to look at the double doors as Maribelle entered. "Prince Fashion Disaster?" The pink-clad blonde repeated, eyes dancing in amusement. "Well, once again, I'm impressed! You even made Lissa laugh at the statement – even if it is, unfortunately, accurate." Seating herself on a nearby bench, she turned a critical pair of red-violet eyes on Solna. "Even though your manner of standing and speech is clearly low-born, you show signs of fitting in quite well with the noble classes."
Solna felt the corner of one eye twitch, but was prevented from answering when Lissa let out a laugh. "You weren't marching with us, Maribelle; she argues with Frederick! It's great!" Giggling and snorting again, the other blonde gave Maribelle a broad grin. "Don't worry, Solna's gonna fit right in, aren't you, Solna?"
Distracted, the lavender-haired woman gave a nod. "Y – yeah, here's hoping. I … really don't have a clue what I'm good at outside of tactics and verbal spars, though, so I might be a bit out of place when we're not marching and such ..."
"Pish-posh!" Maribelle scoffed, bopping Solna on the shoulder with the frilly white parasol that had been hooked over her elbow earlier. "I'm certain that we can find something for a woman of such imposing stature to do in her downtime – perhaps you have a knack for something more artistic?"
"... I draw like a crippled cat."
"Wait a minute, didn't you have that weird flute in your pocket?" Lissa pointed out through her snickers, making Solna blink. A second later, she was digging through her coat's inner pockets, eventually pulling the instrument out. Maribelle arched an eyebrow.
"That's an ocarina, Lissa dear." She corrected, her voice far nicer to Lissa than Solna had heard before. "And it's certainly unexpected – those are fairly delicate instruments. Not exactly something one would typically find in the hands of someone who seems as … un-delicate as you, Solna."
"If you wanna see the opposite of delicate, look at Felix." Solna shrugged, turning the ocarina over in her fingers – it felt like ceramic, and was painted with little white and pink flowers on a black base coat. "If I'm not delicate, I shudder to imagine what you'd think of him being a blacksmith." Maribelle blinked at that.
"Your brother looks so slender, how can he even lift a hammer?!"
"By picking it up, obviously." Felix's voice at the double doors made all three girls look, Solna bursting into a fit of laughter. Her twin had discarded his coat at some point, and had the battered remains of a war hammer slung over one shoulder. "Oi, Solna, mind lending a hand? Chrom and I found a spare room that has a chimney and a good space to put a forge in, but we need help cleaning the room."
"Can I get the hammer?" Solna gestured at the weapon as she took off her own coat as well, tucking the ocarina back in the pocket.
"After I fix it up, sis." Felix shrugged, nodding as he waved to Lissa and Maribelle. "Sorry to interrupt girl-talk, but needed more help." He called as he walked off, Solna following him a moment later.
Lissa just laughed, shaking her head. "Yup, those two are gonna settle in juuust fine." She said aloud, smiling. A glance at Maribelle's face – as if expecting commentary from her friend – just made Lissa laugh harder; the other blonde's face had an unreadable expression on it, as if she was having difficulty comprehending what she had just witnessed.
Walking down to the forge, Felix turned to Solna and grinned. "So, think we'll be okay here?" He asked his twin, brushing light blue hair out of his face. "Yeah, I know we don't know much of anything, or even remember where we came from, but it seems like we've made friends already ..." Solna gave a smile and a nod, laughing a bit.
"It's odd, huh? Maybe we can figure out more ..." Stretching her arms, she let a wolfish grin spread across her face. "Heh, even if we don't remember anything else, at least we can make new memories from here on out and build from there, right?" Felix smiled as a confused look filled his eyes.
"... Have you always been so philosophical?" He asked, clearly amused. Solna responded with a shrug, and the two entered the soon-to-be forge with a laugh.
Tori's Notes: Sorry this took so long to finish – the end of my college term came up, so I focused more on my studies. I have a three-week break right now though, so we should be able to get through more chapters at a ready clip.
Lotta dialogue this time around. It was interesting. Also no failing the Kellam Spot Checks for the twins!
Mags: The next chapter probably won't be very timely either because of other reasons on my end. I still need to make chapter 37 of Reshuffled too...
But yeah, this is a sample of the oddities that will come up with the twins. It's only going to get stranger from here!