The Broken Tactician

A Story is Told

Lucina froze as she heard, or rather thought she heard Robin just speak. "Robin...did you just...?" his gaze was the kind of gaze that a small child might have, the one where they really wanted something. He seemed to try again,

"St-story...p-please?" His voice was a little soft but Lucina realised she was hearing correctly, the pleading look was especially hard to ignore,

"Robin...I..." Lucina sighed as he shot her the most pleading look that he could manage, "I suppose I can read you one, but you've got to promise me that you'll try and rest, ok?" Robin nodded rapidly, Lucina spoke, "Alright, I'll be back soon."

She left the room feeling a slightly hopeful feeling in her chest. Two months had passed since Sumia had first arrived and Lucina had in that time kept giving the pegasus knight letters to send to her father. Mostly she wrote to him about how much progress that Robin was making and that she was helping Lilian as much as she could to assist in Robin's recovery. Lucina had tried to make it as positive as possible and it always made her happy that her father even replied. His replies were both equal parts worried as they were relieved. He always asked how she was doing as much as he wanted to know about how Robin was.

Of course the last letter from her father had specifically asked Lucina to be taking care of herself and that he was hoping to be able to visit them soon with Sumia's help as he was doing his best to clear his duties as the Exalt so that he could bring both Lucina and Robin back to Ylisstol once Robin was deemed well enough.

Her father also told her about the things her younger self was doing; how much she enjoyed her sword lessons and also how her mother was trying to get her to act like a lady at least for a little while before the present version of Lucina's younger brother was born.

Chrom's letters were not the only ones that Lucina received. There were letters from her mother as well as her younger brother Brady. In fact Brady was due to visit with Sumia on the very day it seemed that Robin was starting to talk. Lucina quickly grabbed the book that was one of Robin's favourites, Wyvern Wars and the Terror at High Noon and when she came back to the room with a candle in hand so that she could read to him, Robin was relieved to see her. She set the candle on the table and started to read, "In the land of the light there lived a hero who tamed a mighty wyvern..."

~

I almost didn't realise that it was time for my usual morning movement from my bed to a chair for breakfast then the hammock as I was half asleep. I jolted when I heard the door open, "Ah, sorry there Robin, I didn't think ya was still sleepin' lad."

I gave him a tired smile, after the misadventures of the early hours of the morning I was actually quite glad that I wasn't in trouble...yet. I sat up and tried to make it easier on Roy to move me. He let out a chuckle, "Alrigh' Robin," He said with a grin, "I take it ya wanna be with us fer breakfast?"

I nodded in response and Roy lifted me up with some effort on his part. He carried me over to one of the chairs at the table (which they had started to do in the last week or so as Lilian had said it was to help my recovery some more; mostly because I was able to sit up on my own and I had enough ability to eat unaided). Lilian was over the stove and she cast an eye over me, "He's lookin' a sight tired t'day Roy. Yeh didn' wake him did ya?" Roy for his part laughed,

"Robin wanted t' join us." He said with a hearty laugh as Lucina came into the kitchen. She shot me a meaningful look and sat down in her usual spot at the table, just across from me. I almost would not have spotted it if not for the fact that I was watching her a little, that and I had improved far quicker mentally than physically so I knew she was likely to pull a face like that.

I sighed as the delicious smell of home cooked porridge wafted through the kitchen. I was eager to eat as my stomach let out a low growl. Lilian put my bowl in front of me and I was more than happy to tuck in. "He's gittin' an appetite an' a half." Lilian chuckled, "Musta bin up t' trouble eh?"

I swallowed my spoonful and gave her the most innocent look I could muster. Which led to them all having a laugh,

"He ain't able t' git in t' trouble Lil," Roy said once they'd all calmed, "Robin migh' one day jest not yet."

Lilian nodded and had put down a second bowl for me to eat and as I tucked into it with the same degree of eagerness as the first bowl Lucina said rather calmly, "I don't think I mentioned it but my younger brother will be visiting for a little while, as long as it suits."

"Ya asked me las' week if he could come lass," Lilian said with a smile, "He's a healer too ain't he?"

"Yes." Lucina said, "I think he wanted to help in any way that he could as soon as he learned about Robin's current state."

"Tha's very kind o' him. He must be a good lad."

"Indeed." Lucina seemed to sigh, "He's spent a good deal of time helping others since the war ended."

"I don' doubt tha' for a second," Lilian said sagely, "Th' people needs helpin' them does."

"Of course." Lucina agreed and there was a comfortable silence over the table as we all ate. It was broken when Lilian said in mock surprise,

"Well I'll be; on ya third bowl already Robin?" She smiled, "Yeh appetite's through th' roof! Ya must be up t' trouble eh?"

I shook my head and responded as best I could, "No...trouble..."

There was a new wave of silence that I could tell wasn't good at least until Lilian said in surprise, "No wonder yeh hungry!" She gave my head a pat, "Yeh even more surprisin' than I thought ya was!"

Lucina looked a little less surprised but she still seemed to be surprised. I couldn't really say as much as I wanted but it was enough to see how happy they all were. Roy was grinning widely and Lilian looked like she was about to cry and Lucina...I noticed that she seemed hopeful. I tried to say how thankful I was that Lilian was looking out for me. How much I appreciated Roy's help but to my frustration, none of the words would come. Not even to Lucina who didn't have to be there but helped remind me of so much that I needed right now. Why can't I speak properly? Was it because of the sacrifice I had to make to save all of them? All of...them...Naga...why must it be like this? I ate the third bowl that Lilian had given me to eat.

With breakfast done I wanted to go outside. I knew however that wasn't going to be happening any time soon even if I asked so I settled into the hammock for the time being. I was restless. Lucina was out running a couple of errands before her brother came to visit (no doubt by pegasus since the winter snows were treacherous to other kinds of travellers even if they had magic to help them) and I was bored. I sighed in frustration and absently wondered why I was so drawn to Lucina. It was difficult to tell and for the most part she seemed to be little more than a good friend to me...no...she wasn't a little more than a good friend because there was more to it then that! I felt heat rising in my cheeks. Oh gods not now! The last thing I needed anyone to think was that I was feverish. I struggled to calm down but the awful thought remained. I was hopelessly caught in Lucina's web. And equally doubtless was that Chrom was going to kill me...or maybe Maribelle...or...I gulped at the thought, maybe both of them would kill me...and I let out a noise of frustration as I desperately wanted to get outside and clear my head of such a thought before it became a problem in more ways then one. Then I had another thought. Who in gods' name was Chrom and Maribelle? I struggled to keep my frustration in check but it was getting harder and harder to do.