It took everything in her not to panic. Her gut sank so deep within her that she felt nauseous. Her eyes flickered over to Chrom. His face was so pale. His expression was so hard to read as many emotions flashed across his face. She finally stepped forward and put her hand on his arm, snapping him back to reality. He slowly looked at her and only stared at her until Robin squeezed his arm a little.
"Take us to her," Robin spoke clearly, trying hard for her voice not to waver. "Lissa, Chrom, let's go."
The trio wasted no time and followed the messenger back to the arena where Emmeyrn and the Khans were for the night. As they approached the arena entrance, Robin noticed the figures of the Khans and a shadowy figure behind them. Has another assassin come to kill another country's ruler? Chrom had already noticed the figure as well and had Falchion in hand. Robin pulled out her own tome and readied a small wind spell in precaution.
"Flavia! Basilio! Look out!"
A chill went down her spine and without thinking, she fired the spell. The two immediately went into a stance, Flavia pulling out her sword from her belt and Basilio raising his fists in defense. But instead of turning and attacking the approaching figure, they pressed their backs together and shielded them.
The spell hit the two soldiers, both guarding the spell with their arms and weapons. Their resistance was surprisingly high as the both came out either unharmed or slightly scathed.
Chrom sprang forward and raised his sword high, fury seething from his body. Flavia used the rainguard of her sword and locked the prince in, pushing against him harshly.
"Fool! What are you doing?!" Flavia growled. "Do you wish to play games with the Khans of Ferox?!"
Behind Falvia, soft eyes peeked over her shoulder. Emmeryn stood behind Flavia, shocked and confused. Her tome was pulled out and she quickly tucked it under arm as she stepped forward.
"Chrom?" Her voice was soft, but firm. "What is the meaning of this? Is everything alright?"
For only a moment, it was quiet. Robin could only stare in relief as the Exalt stood before her, very alive and very well. Lissa was the one who broke the silence, bursting into tears and sobbing before running into Emmeryn's arms. Robin and Chrom both collapsed to their knees as relief washed over them as well as exhaustion.
"Care to explain all this?" Basilio towered over the two leaders, arms folded and shooting them a hard glare. If Robin had a father, she could imagine Basilio would be it. His stare was unbearable and stung just as sharp as Flavia's sword.
"Th-the messenger…" Chrom finally spoke up, his form also slumped as he cowered from Basilio's glare.
The large man whipped around to look at the messenger, once again glowering while holes were being burned into the man's head.
"I-I received a message from Ylisstol th-that L-lady Emmeryn was attacked."
The Khans and Emmeryn shared a collective look of confusion. The woman said was standing just fine in front of her and very well in fact. And then it dawned on Robin.
"The double…" She whispered to herself. "Sir, tell us what else you know."
The man explained that Gangrel was spotted with a group of bandits and assassins. Within the hour of him being spotted, servants had found "Emmeryn" wounded with several cuts and non-threatening stabs to her body. Gangrel fled once the guards were engaged and left the group to perish, saving himself.
The group was silent as the man explained the situation and once he finished, Robin thanked them and asked everyone to step inside a nearby room. The room smelled a little like sweat and wet dirt, but that was because it was a changing room for the arena. She asked the messenger to stand guard and tell them if anyone was approaching. The man was eager to help and agreed. Once she stepped inside the closed room, she faced the others. She knew that this was a crisis and that the Exalt must want to rush to go back home, but there are things that must be taken care of. She felt the anxiety as much as she did. There was a reason her gut was churning earlier and why she wanted to secure a route back. The news earlier had made her stomach drop so far that she thought it wouldn't have a stomach by the time they made it to the arena.
"So, we all know that 'Emmeryn' was attacked, which means he was waiting for us to leave her side to make an attack."
"The townspeople must be so worried," Emmeryn patted Lissa's back in reassurance, trying her best to comfort her. Robin knew better than that and could see that she was also trying to reassure herself. "We must make haste back. I know I said I wouldn't worry earlier, but I pray that nothing else has caused any more calamity or I…"
"Hold on, sister." Chrom butted in and moved to both of his siblings' sides. "We left the double in your stead for this very precaution. Our fears were true. We need to be cautious."
"Chrom is right." Robin folded one arm over the other and tapped her chin, thinking. "We can use this opportunity to intercept Gangrel and put a stop to his deeds, once and for all."
With a plan in mind, the group exited the room and asked the messenger for more details and learned that Gangrel fled to the border of Plegia and Ferox, a place called the Border Wastes. There was a message to any plegian available to come and aid him on his way back to the border. Anyone who aids him would get a hefty reward sum.
Basilio even made sure there was an escape route, nudging Robin in the side while laughing. Robin got the joke, but felt some sort of irritation when he did. It was a good reason to be cautious, but now it took a little strength for her to not pull out her thunder spells right then and there. Flavia made sure to punch him hard in the side, before whisking Robin away to Chrom's side.
The group stayed later than usual before calling it quits for the night on the plan. The Khans departed to their own homes while waving goodnight to the rest. The four of them made their way back to the campsite where everyone was still awake and restless. They were all greeted by shouts and questions and when they saw Emmeryn step into sight, they all crowded her as well as either cry or thank the Gods for her safety.
Emmeryn made sure to pass by each person and assure them that she was alright, even to those who didn't even see her as their own leader. Robin made sure that the word spread throughout the army that a war meeting was to be held and had Frederick spread the word.
Once everyone was gathered, Robin began laying out maps of the area that she had dug up from the inventory. It seems only Morgan, Chrom, and Miriel had ever pulled out the maps during the past couple months as some of the maps and past strategies were covered in dust and soot. She rolled out a map of the border between Plegia and Ferox and directed everyone to look at the pieces she had laid out on the map.
"Chrom and I will lead the assault, charging right for him. I can only take 11 others besides Chrom and I. I need people with high resistance to magic as Gangrel has called for reinforcements, but we cannot forget that there can also be weapon wielders on the field as well. There's also a rumor of treasure there, so I would like to take Gaius so he can pick the lock and obtain the item."
In the corner of her eye, she noticed Gaius fist pump the air as he turned to Cordelia to whisper something in her ear. She giggled at him and then swatted his arm. Robin watched them as Chrom continued his portion of the meeting. How did she not notice how close they were before? But then again, she hasn't been paying attention to others' love life's. She knew how Lissa had a small crush on Lon'qu (since Lissa won't stop talking about it), but that was all she knew. Perhaps she could pair them together during the next battle…No, she couldn't risk it. Cordelia's resistance to magic was too weak. If she were to get injured, or in an even worse critical condition, she couldn't forgive herself. And neither would Gaius.
Her mind traveled while observing the meeting, making note of anything suspicious activity during the meeting. Who was the imposter? Were they still lurking within them? Nobody seemed to be out of place. Tharja was still glaring at Chrom as usual. Morgan was furiously taking notes in her tome and making short quips during battle preparation, the job of assistant tactician being taken seriously as she stared at the map and its figurines down. Maribelle examines her nails, while Gregor bites at his. Lon'qu sat in the shadows listening as Nowi peered at the map and its wooden figures, poking some in an attempt to play with them.
Everyone looked right in their place and Robin's gut only churned as anxiety got the best of her. The back of her right hand itched and burned, taking everything in her not to take off her glove and scratch it. Furrowing her eyebrows, she recited a small mantra to calm herself. It's ok. You can trust everyone here. No ones going to betray you. It will be fine. All the while, she's reciting plans and tactics to everyone as she does. Pointing out hidden spots that could provide harm to anyone who could step close, fortresses that could provide shelter for times being, and pairings that could be made if in need of a tight pinch.
"I will take Gaius, Sumia, Donnel, Maribelle, Tharja, Libra, Olivia, and Ricken onto the battlefield. Make sure to check your weapons and inventory before we march. Otherwise, you'll have to stick to bronze weapons that Chrom will be carrying."
A few groans were let out and Robin smiled at it. One of the battles on the way to Fort Feroxx, they were ambushed by some Risen. A creature Robin had never encountered before. She later learned that through apocalyptic occurrences that happen across the continent, these man-looking creatures sprouted from darkness and filth and attacked any living thing that moved. In the middle of a fight, Donnel's silver lance broke and he panicked. Chrom, thankfully, carries extra weapons onto the field. But only bronze weapons at the moment. The silver weapons were being primarily used at the moment and the only other weapons available were the bronze ones. Donnel had more trouble trying to kill the creatures when they started to surround him. Apparently, this sort of occurrence happened a lot.
Clearing her throat to get their attention back, she spoke up once again.
"I also need a team to go with Emmeryn as she rallies and proves that she is indeed alive and well. This can prove to be an advantage as Emmeryn is one of the countries most looked upon leaders. We must also ensure that the news of Emmeryn being assassinated is true at the time being. We must have Gangrel believe that he did his job and when the time arises, Emmeryn will step in and prove that he failed and we will deal the final blow. Frederick will personally escort her to the nearby towns. Do we have any volunteers to help Frederick in planning a secure route?"
At first it's quiet and Robin loses some hope for the team, until a hand is raised. Morgan stands out in the group as her face is set with determination. She felt her lips tug into a smile and nodded at her.
"Wonderful, thank you Morgan. I will have you take the lead with Frederick then. The rest of you who aren't joining us at the border will help escort Emmeryn." And with that, Robin had Morgan devise her own plan to help her and Frederick. Morgan was instructed to take the rest of the team and escort Emmeryn around the destroyed villages to raise morale and heal the injured. Morgan would report back to Robin and Chrom to ensure a route to meet them at the border wastes.
The meeting comes to a close as Robin wraps up the last of the battle plans. Robin pulled Emmeryn, Frederick and Morgan aside to a quieter part of camp, instructing them to plan carefully together and to go as soon as tomorrow to take refuge in some villages.
After dismissing the two, she stretched her arms and let out a big yawn. The day had gotten away from her and before she knew it, it was already dark. The moon was beginning to peak out from behind the clouds and a warm breeze began to blow through the camp. Emmeryn smiled at her and patted her back softly.
"Thank you Robin. For everything you do."
"Oh it's no problem at all, You're-Emm." Robin laughed nervously at her mistake. "Forgive me, I'm still not used to calling someone of your caliber an informal name."
"It's quite alright." Emm chuckled. "You'll get used to it soon. I believe I shall retire for the night. If you see my brother, tell him I will be in Lissa's tent."
"Of course, good night." Robin called as she watched her retreating form. She, herself, should get to her own tent as well. Gathering her things together and hefting the maps in her arms, she made her way back to her tent. She planned on reviewing the battle plans once more to make sure everything goes well. But before she could, she ran into Cordelia. The both of them let out squeals or yelps as they almost drop their items. Robin, her maps and Cordelia, a bundle of weapons.
"Robin! My apologies, I didn't see you there."
"Neither did I, the fault is both of ours. We weren't paying attention." Robin chuckled. The pair was silent for a moment. It felt a little awkward as the two stood there in front of each other for a little bit. It felt a little tense as the fight between them was really intense. She hoped that Cordelia didn't feel any resentment towards her after the battle. After a couple seconds, Robin stepped a little to her right to let Cordelia through.
"Well, I guess it's off to bed now. We both need to get a lot of rest before the battle."
"R-right."
Robin did her best to stay calm as she walked away, praying it didn't look like she was walking away too fast.
"Robin?" Cordelia called after her. When Robin turned, Cordelia was already catching up to her. When she finally reached her side, Cordelia stopped and bowed her head. "I…I just want to apologize for earlier."
"Huh?" Robin looked at her, baffled. Was this because of the fight earlier?
"I was really taken back by your fighting earlier that I forgot that we were fighting for sport. It felt…like a real battle. I was immersed by your fighting, that my instincts kicked in. I was really worried about your legs after that fight-it was a relief when Libra told me that they healed completely."
"C-Cordelia, it's ok! Besides, I should be apologizing to you. I was more worried about you. I had struck you with fatal blows, it's a miracle you survived those attacks!"
"I appreciate your sentiment and accept your apology-on one condition." Cordelia hefted up a javelin from the pile of weapons she was carrying. "Tell me what you think of this javelin."
Robin was taken back by this. She looked at Cordelia and then down at the weapon. At first glance, anyone would think that it was another regular weapon. But as Robin inspected it more, she noticed that the handle and point was handmade. There was a design carved into the handle, wrapping from the hilt to the handle.
"W-wow…Cordelia, this is beautiful. Did you make this?"
"I did. I was given feedback on my last one and this is the result, but I fear it needs more work." Cordelia had a sad look in her eyes, but she looked so longingly at this weapon that Robin could only deduce this as the fallen comrade. He made such a big impact on his comrades that Robin could only feel inferior to him. How could she fill his shoes and have the others trust her as they did him?
"So, what do you think?"
Cordelia's voice shook her out of her stupor and she gave a look back over the javelin.
"The only flaw I can find is the point. It's begun to wear out and become dull. It'll become hard to put an end to our enemies. But other than that, it's very well-made. The balance is perfect for your form and perfect length too."
"Thank you." Cordelia looked down at it and smiled. Her smile looked more sincere and Robin could see how much she cherished it. Looking over at her once more, she remembered the scene from earlier.
"So, what's the deal with you and Gaius?" Robin nudged her arm a little and smirked at her. Being a woman, it wasn't hard to resist gossip and knowledge. She also wanted to break the ice a little. "You guys were chatting a lot during the war meeting."
"H-huh?" Cordelia's cheeks slushed a soft pink. "Where did that come from?"
"I saw how you two look at each other. Are you guys…?"
"OH, GODS NO!" Cordelia's voice was loud, gathering any eyes near them to look towards. "I-I mean, we're just close friends. There's nothing going on!"
Robin knew that look. It was that longing look that Lissa gives Lon'qu when he narrowling saves her from an attack.
"..." Robin stared Cordelia down, giving her a silent look of confirmation. When she didn't say anything back and her face became a darker shade of hue, only then did Robin cheer quietly. "Cordelia, this man likes you! And you like him too! Can you believe it? How can you not see it? You two are adorable for each other."
"I can't see it happening," Cordelia groaned. "He only comes over to be with me when he has nothing else better to do. I'm sure from all my constant nagging that he's already annoyed by how I act. He even says that I act like his mother. Hah, can you believe that?!"
With the way she was acting, Robin could see how she felt. Despite being a genius and like other pegasi riders, Cordelia wore her heart on her sleeve. The affection she held when she kept rambling on about him made no difference to her protests.
"...and I'm sure that he already slacks off more than usual when he sees I'm doing the rest of chores or helping with kitchen duty! He just becomes more lazy whenever I'm around to-"
"Cordelia!"
She stopped, eyes wide from how loud Robin shouted. Her mouth half open mid-sentence.
"You need to make peace with your feelings." Robin placed a hand on her shoulder. "Even if he doesn't see you in that way, you should tell him how you feel."
The two sat in silence for a moment, lamenting on the thoughts from the night.
"Alright," Cordelia finally announced. "I'll tell him when we all band back together at the border."
Robin mentally slapped her head, but if that's how Cordelia wants to do it-she'll leave her be. The two bid each other goodnight and parted to each other's tents. Robin smiled to herself-she finally made up with Cordelia! Well, sort of. They weren't on bad terms in the first place, but it seems like a start. As Robin approached her tent, she heard her name.
"Robin?"
Morgan stood in the shadows besides her tent, spooking her. Her hair and coat made her blend into the dark, making her unseen.
"Gah! Morgan?" Robin felt her skin crawl as she jumped. "What are you doing over here? Isn't your tent farther away than mine?"
"Yeah, but I wanted to go over some plans for the route back to the border." A book was held close to her face, shrouding it. She peeked over it shyly. "Could you go over them with me?"
Robin gave her a look-over, the back of her hand twitching once more. She's not an imposter, right? Robin's mind swam, but she let out a breath and had a question set on her lips.
"Morgan," Robin's voice sounded stern when she heard herself. Morgan looked surprised. "Can you tell me you gave that book?"
Morgan's eyes went wide and then casted her eyes down to the tome she was holding. Robin couldn't tell what expression she wore, but she slowly reached into her robes to find the tip of her own tome and got ready to pull it out.
Silence filled her ears as she waited for Morgan to speak. It spoke volumes to her, but she had to be cautious. Before long, Morgan made a noise that startled her. It sounded more like a squeak as she opened and closed her mouth, nothing coming out as her lips quivered.
"...m-my father gave this to me," Morgan lifted her face higher, tears welling up into her eyes. "...just before…"
Robin's eyes went wide and she let go of her own tome. Before she knew it, she had dropped her scrolls and maps to comfort the girl. She had swept her into her arms and held her as tight as she could. She didn't know what possessed her to do it, but she had this feeling that this was right.
"I'm sorry, Morgan." She whispered into her hair. Putting her hand to the top of her head, she began to run her hand through her hair. Mentally, she began to scold herself. How could she accuse this poor girl, she had gone through enough already and now she's adding fuel to the fire. Morgan's shoulders shook a little beneath her own arms and she squeezed her a little tighter. "It's ok to let it out. It must've been hard for you to lose someone so important to you."
After a second, Morgan let out a quiet sob. Robin felt her arms clutch at the front of her robes and she broke down even harder. After a while, Morgan finally lifted her face from her front. Her face was streaked with tears and other fluids, while the rim of her eyes were tinged pink. Robin pulled out a handkerchief she found in her pocket and began to wipe her face gently, earning some groans of protest from underneath the cloth.
"Come on, I'll brew you some tea inside my tent." Robin guided her in, lighting several lamps in her way in. After seating her on her bedroll and starting to boil some water, Robin excused herself to pick up the maps she dropped. Luckily, neither of them stepped on them and was only a little dusted from the dirt. A sharp whistling noise caught her attention, the water was ready, and she made her way back inside. Setting down her scrolls, she pulled the kettle from the fire and placed it on a pile of rocks she had set aside for it.
"What kind of tea do you prefer?" Robin asked, trying to keep her voice soft to not alarm the younger girl. "I'm no conusoir like Frederick or Maribelle, but I have my own tastes. I usually keep sweeter leaves and even more sugar to help me choke down the bitter aftertaste."
"Um, green tea or Oolong is just fine."
Robin took out a canister from her knapsack and opened it, scooping out enough for her tea ball and placed it into the kettle. She took off her coat, folding it by her bedside, and began to make herself busy by tidying up the tent a little, self-conscious that there was another person in her own tent.
"...I'm sorry," Morgan mumbled, her eyes casted on to the ground. "I've been really mean and cold to you lately. I've just been really upset that you seemed to be replacing him in everyone's hearts…"
"It's all right," Robin said softly. "I understand that ever since I was welcomed, everyone's been a little stiff. It's only natural for you to be uncomfortable and threatened when someone new arrives, especially me."
She poured the tea into one of her cups she had from her knapsack and handed it to her, careful as she tried not to spill. Morgan took it from her hands and held it close to her lips, taking in its fragrance.
"But, of course, I want to become closer to everyone as we're all fighting against the same cause. It's only natural to become friends with your own allies."
"...so, what are you fighting for?" Morgan peeked up at her from behind her hair to look at her, evaluating Robin's expressions and body language.
"..." Robin froze as she had her teacup lifted to her lips as well. Another question Robin had buried deep to not question or think about. The back of her hand was itchy again and there was a throbbing from behind her eyes. What was she fighting for? To find out her identity? Or was her memory hiding something important to her?
"To be completely honest, I don't know." She finally admitted. "I have nothing to hide, but something feels wrong when I'm around everyone. I know I belong, but at the same time I don't. Everything and everyone seems so familiar. I…I had a dream. Chrom was there and he helped me, but in my dream I betrayed him. It felt so real, but it was part of a dream! With my amnesia, I can't seem to remember what is real and what isn't."
The two sat in silence for a while, before Morgan spoke up again.
"It was like that for me too." She took a sip out of her cup. "When I first woke up, everything felt familiar. I knew where I was, but I didn't have a clue how I got there. Eventually, I ran into The Shepherds and that's when I saw him: my dad. When I saw him, I knew who he was. He looked younger than I remembered, but it was definitely him. I don't even remember who my mom was. I had a keepsake, but I lost it when I was attacked by Risen. I knew who everyone was, vaguely, but everything was a blur before that. Dad said it was like that too when Chrom and Aunt Lissa found him too."
Robin stared into her drink. So, she wasn't the only one who experienced these things. This felt like no coincidence. Three people waking up with no previous memory and felt a connection with a random group of strangers? Something wasn't right.
"You know, we're all alike in a way." Morgan said quietly. "I mean, you look exactly like my dad! Except, you're a woman and all that."
Robin chuckled at her statement. "I'm glad you think we're alike. I feel the same way. I…hope we can start off on the right foot now."
The two smiled with each other, before Morgan asked to look over her battle plans again. With a new found hope and connection, the two chatted the night away discussing strategies and eventually found a peaceful rest until the next morning.