I know, it's been a bit longer of a gap between these chapters, but I was on vacation and hey, college isn't a walk in the park! Excuses aside, I like how this one turned out (especially a certain scene), so I hope you enjoy reading it as much as I did writing it! :) Anywho, on with the show!

The first thing I notice when I wake up is someone's hand on my neck. I scream, my eyes shooting open as I roll away from the sensation, my arms flailing madly; suddenly, two more hands grab my wrists, but their touch is gentle, and something about them makes me feel calm.

"You're okay." I look towards the voice and see the Grandmaster standing next to the bed, a small smile on his face. He releases my wrists - which he apparently grabbed to prevent me from hurting myself - and he helps me sit up. A fair-faced young woman is writing something down, her hand still hovering near me, and I realize that she was the one touching my throat. "Don't mind Libra," Lucan says, "he was just checking your pulse. He's one of our finest healers."

He?..

"Where am I?"

"You're in our Barracks," Lucan says. "The infirmary, to be exact; Libra was just telling me that the reason you collapsed was because one of those foul creatures managed to clip you with a hex or curse of some kind." He sits down slightly at the end of the bed, and as he does so, the Exalt enters the room. Lucan turns to him and says, "Well, Chrom? What did Tharja and Miriel find?"

"Those Wraiths don't leave much of a trace," the dark-haired royal says, "but Tharja found a shard of one of them that hadn't had chance to melt. Miriel's analyzing it as we speak."

"Good," Lucan says with a small nod. My head's still spinning, but my eyes manage to pick out some of the young man's features; a sharp, defined jaw, high cheekbones, dark eyelashes. I wonder if all Ylisseans are this handsome? I'm lost in thought for a moment before I realize that Lucan's turned to face me once more. I fidget nervously when his green eyes meet mine, and he asks, "And you, Mila? How are you feeling?"

I sit in silence for a moment, and my eyes close as I try to shift my weight around; I wince almost immediately. "I feel… weak," I say softly, "and a queer pain in my chest seems to be lingering."

"I am not familiar with the make-up of this curse," Libra says, sitting back in his chair, "and I have seen many hexes and dark enchantments in my day. I honestly cannot say what sort of lingering effects it could have," he says, making my eyes grow wide, "but I'll keep an eye on you and make sure you remain as well as possible."

"Thank you," I say, my mouth dry.

"Get some rest, Mila," Lucan says. "We'll talk more when you're feeling better and that damn hex is out of your system." With that, he and Chrom leave the room, leaving me alone with Libra.

"So you are one of the Northern Folk?" the healer says after a few moments of silence, his hands deftly flipping through a large book. He looks up at me, and I nod. "Your people are usually reclusive… times must be changing indeed if you came here." He stands, his robes rustling, and I'm struck by the kindness in his eyes as he smiles at me. "I think it's time you try to stand. Here, take my hands."

Swinging my legs over the side of the raised cot I'm lying on, I reach out and take Libra's hands, his gauntlets cold to the touch. Though I'm unsteady at first and nauseousness threatens to throw me back down, I manage to stand, the blonde War Priest keeping me balanced. I look up from my feet and find his eyes very close to mine, and I feel myself blush. "Th-thank you," I say softly.

"No thanks are necessary, milady," he says with a smile, and I return it with surprising ease.

"What do we know about Fraustfel?" I ask, my hands flat on either side of a map of the known world. I'm in the 'battle room' of the Barracks, where much of our planning, strategizing and discussion is based.

Lucan sighs, then says, "Not much, unfortunately. It's bitterly cold, and their capitol city is somewhere in this vicinity." He points to an area at the tip of their southernmost mountain range. "I'm still not sure what to think of all this, Chrom," he adds. "Why would that emmisary some here of all places?"

I shrug. "It's hard to say… though your reputation seemed to proceed you," I say with a small smirk. "Perhaps whoever sent her had heard of your feats in the Plegian and Valmese wars."

"She wasn't sent by anyone." Lucan and I turn, and we see Libra walking into the room, pausing long enough for a quick bow in my direction. "Miss Mila has informed me that she came of her own volition."

"So she travelled all this way alone?" Lucan asks.

"No, actually," Libra says. "Apparently, she was initially travelling with her brother, but they were separated during their first run-in with these 'wraiths'."

I think for a moment, then turn and look to Frederick, who's standing in the corner with his hands on his sword, which stands on its point on the stone floor. "If the brother of this emmisary arrives, do not immediately confront him; from what I've seen, they might be on our side," I say. "Understood?"

"Yes, milord," the knight sternly says with a nod.

"I'm going to go look over any notes or texts I can find on the Fel and their homeland," Lucan says, stepping back from the table. "If anything comes up, please don't hesitate to let me know," he adds, sharing a knowing look with me; when don't I let him know? I think, smiling inwardly.

"All right then," I say to the Shepherds standing before me, "dismissed."

The sun is warm on my cheeks as I sit, leaning back on the large tree in the corner of the Yard. It towers over all those around it, and ever since I first arrived at the Barracks, the sanctuary of its low-hanging branches has helped me relax. I lean my head back against the bark, the gentle curve of the trunk hugging against my back, and I let out a soft sigh as my eyes slip closed, the book in my hands lying lazily upon my knees. Already so much excitement, and I have yet to be back for a week. I remain still for a few minutes, the breeze tickling my face, until I hear rustling nearby. I almost jump, but I almost immediately determine it to be footsteps of someone walking, so I relax a bit and keep my eyes closed until a shadow passes in front of me.

I open my eyes, and I see a fellow Shepherd standing before me, one hand tucking a strand of crimson hair behind her ear. "Hello, Lucan."

"Cordelia," I say with a smile, setting my book aside atop a stack of its brethren, "how are you?"

"I am… well," she says softly, her words delicate, contrary to her prowess in battle and her outwardly confident personality. Perhaps she has changed in the past years, I think. She coughs into her hand, and we both remain swaddled in silence for a moment before she suddenly blurts out, "And you? Are you glad to be back?"

I look into her eyes, and she looks away blushing, which puzzles me. "Of course I am," I say, standing and brushing a few stray blades of grass from the backs of my legs. "Though I must say, seeing as my absence was but a flicker before my eyes, it didn't have as poignant an effect on me as it did on all of you," I say sadly.

"I understand," the Falcon Knight says with a small nod, her hands clasped before her as I stoop to pick up my books. "Lucan…" At the tone of her voice I instantly look back to her, worried; when I see tears welling up in her eyes, I inwardly wince. "We… we all missed you so!" Cordelia's pale, elegant face is flushed almost as red as her teary eyes, and she claps her hands to her face and makes to leave in embrassment.

Seeing the redhead cry brings a rush of memories back, and many conversations regarding her past and her inner pain making my throat tighten. Showing such emotion was never easy for her, but I was her friend… I set my books down as she walks away, and in a few long strides I catch up to her, my hands gently grasping her quivering shoulders. She tries to pull away, but I suddenly hold her to my chest, and although she squeaks in surprise, I wrap my arms around her, doing my best to comfort one of my comrades in a time of need.

As Cordelia attempts to calm herself, her face buried in my coat, I look over her shoulder and realize that we are not alone. "Um… Cordelia?"

The redhead sniffs for a second, then says in a small voice, "Y-yes?"

"It seems your steed thought you needed a chaperone," I say, and I start to laugh as Cordelia turns and sees her pegasus standing behind her. Her back to me, the spear-toting amazon takes a moment to compose herself and wipe her face, and in order to give her a moment, I toss one of my boots up and try to knock an apple from the tree. "Equia still loves these, I presume?" I ask when I manage to dislodge one after a few tries.

Cordelia smiles, and her eyes tug at me as she holds my gaze. "Yes, she does," she says. "I'm surprised you remember!"

"How could I forget?" I ask with a laugh, tossing the apple in the pegasus' direction. Equia snatches it from the air, and I see Cordelia smile warmly out of the corner of my eye. "I helped Sumia take care of her when you were sick, remember?"

Shaking the hair from her eyes, Cordelia laughs. "Yes, I remember… though I recall you saying it was a touch less difficult than doing the same favor for Cherche's companion."

"Yeah, Minerva was far from my biggest fan," I say, running a hand through my hair as I grin. I look over to see that Cordelia's eyes are still on me, and I feel my face grow warm. "So was there a particular reason you came out here?" I ask.

She shrugs, looking away again towards the Barracks. "It's hard to say," she says. "I mean, I've always been distant from the others, and even Sumia doesn't see my true self very often." She swallows heavily, and I step forward to stand next to her, making the corner of her lips rise a bit. "So when you came back, I… I hoped that maybe we could be friends again. The way we were before you… you…"

Seeing her struggle with the words pains me, so I interject, my hand resting gently on her shoulder. "Of course we're friends, Cordelia," I say, and she looks to me with her eyes glowing. "We have been since the day I first called you a genius."

The redhead's lower lip pouts out, and I laugh as she says, "You know I still don't like being called that!"

"Sorry," I say, teasingly bumping my shoulder into hers. We share a laugh, and then after another quick hug, the beautiful knight mounts her pegasus and launches back into the sky, taking a long, arcing path back towards the stables. It's good to know that after all this time, I think as I watch Equia and her mistress rocket through the sky, the bonds we forged managed to endure. I pick up my books and head back across the Yard, a small smile on my face.

So the Grandmaster of Ylisse is here after all… hm. Doesn't look all that impressive.

I exhale, and a puff of my icy breath rushes out between my lips. I crouch on a branch several trees away, my pale hand bracing me against the trunk as I watch him walk towards one of the main gates. My sister must be here somewhere… if these Ylisseans laid so much as a finger on her, I'll gut them like fish. I lightly drop to the ground when the tactician is far enough away, and once I recover, I whisper a word in an ancient tongue under my breath; a sensation like water being poured over my head cascades down my frame, and I glance down to see that I'm now transparent, almost invisible to the naked eye. Time to continue my search.

The grass rustles softly about my ankles as I cross the wide field behind the large complex of buildings, and my eyes flicker around my surroundings incessantly, my hands hovering near the hilts of my twin blades. The home of the Ylisseans is neat and well-kempt, and I can't help but notice the lack of sound as I near one of the buildings.

Caw!

I look up and see a crow sitting on the corner of a rooftop, its red eyes beaming down at me. I shiver. Those things give me the creeps. Before I can take another step, another caw pierces the air, and another ebon bird alights upon the fence of what appears to be a sparring ring. This is an ill omen, I think as a third crow flies overhead; these birds are quite rare this far east. I think for a moment, and then I recall a story I once heard about one of the more infamous men who fought under the Grandmaster. Hm… if I had to guess, I'd say that I'm not the only visitor recently arrived in Ylisstol.

"Hehehe, you'd be guessing right!"

I spin on my heels, drawing my blades in a blur and swinging them both in the direction of the voice, but no one's there. It sounded like it was right behind me! How could they see me, and how in the hell did they get inside my head without me noticing? I sprint for the trees, daggers still in hand; I will return soon enough, Ylisseans… no man can keep me from my beloved sister.

I make it into the forest without pause, my breath ragged and my heart pounding, and I jump halfway out of my skin when another caw rattles through the branches above my head. I head towards the small tent I'd pitched some distance away, and as I pass one of the trees, I gasp. Who the hell was that? I think, spinning to face the white-haired figure I saw from the corner of my eye. I take a moment to catch my breath, but I'm walking again soon enough. This land is truly vile, I think, but don't fear, Mila… Mikhael is coming. You'll be safe soon, I promise.

Be sure to review, alert or favorite if you like what you see, and also: all pairings (except for the two I've already shown to be canon) are still up in the air, so if you have any thoughts, opinions or personal favorites, be sure to PM me or let me know in your review! Thanks, and stay tuned!