I groaned, plopping down on a log near the campfire. I'm so done with today. I just want to rest. The mid-January chill definitely took a toll on me. I couldn't get warm no matter how many layers I wore.

The Shepherds were asked to escort some healers to a nearby town. There was an outbreak of some sickness, but nothing that couldn't be healed easily. I was glad for that, too. Naga knew how I felt about severe epidemics.

However, the snow didn't care if we were traveling. Luckily, there was no blizzard on the horizon; that was about our only blessing. The trip took two days and one night, meaning we would have to set up camp in the frozen forests of Ylisse.

"Looks like someone's tired!" Sumia giggled.

I cracked open an eye to glare at the brunette knight. There were two other people sitting at the fire: Cherche and Sully. "Shush. I'm practically frozen."

Sully huffed a laugh. "Really? You've been training with Chrom for the past hour. With how much he keeps you on your toes, you should be burning up!"

I rolled my eyes. "We trained in wolf form," I sighed. "My fur got wet from the snow so I was freezing when I shifted back."

"Well, stay with us for a while! The fire should keep you warm!" Cherche beamed.

Don't mind if I do... I said to myself, extending my hands to warm them.

"Anyway, Cherche, what were you saying before Anna sat down?" Sumia asked.

"Oh! That!" Cherche shrugged. "I was saying that everyone sitting down here has a mate, but I suppose not anymore now that Anna's here."

I flushed red. Great. This discussion is happening.

Sully slid over to me and patted my shoulder. "Ah, don't worry your pretty little head off! You'll find your mate soon enough!"

"How is Libra, anyway?" Sumia asked Cherche. "Aren't you anxious that he's back in Ylisstol and you're out here?"

Cherche let out a breath. "...Well, yes. I do feel a bit of separation anxiety, but it's fine. I volunteered to go on this journey knowing full well that Libra would want to stay home."

"He's not a very moble Shepherd, is he?" I raised an eyebrow, hoping I didn't say anything rude.

She shook her head. "No, but he does plenty for the group, no matter where he is."

"That's nice..." I trailed off. Gods, why do I feel so awkward talking about mates? I should probably ask them for advice on feelings, but my case is different. The ones they loved turned out to be their mates. Mine isn't. He can't.

One would expect for our relationship to improve after my breakdown last week, but no. If anything, I made more of an effort to avoid him. I still spent time with him, sure, but I couldn't shake my lingering love for him. I was too scared that he would find out about my feelings or hear how fast he made my heart beat.

I fidgeted with my hands. "Umm...can I ask...? Er...well..."

Sumia's head tilted in curiosity. "Is something wrong? You can talk to us about anything, you know."

Cherche nodded. "Yeah, we're right here, darling."

Sully crossed her arms. "What's on your mind?"

I swallowed the thick lump in my throat. "Um, well... How did you know your partners were your mates?"

Silence.

Oh, gods. I was totally out of line. I shouldn't have asked-

"Well, that's a bit hard to explain..." Sumia said. "Everyone has a different experience. But, there are similar things wolves go through. For one, you always feel some sort of bond with your mate, even if the bond isn't solidified."

"Yeah, it's strange to put into words," Sully agreed. "But, well, it just kinda happens. You never know someone's your mate until it happens. Hell, my bond with Virion totally caught us off guard!"

I straightened slightly. "Really? How so?"

Cherche began to giggle. "Oh, I love this story."

The red-head playfully stuck out her tongue. "I've known Ruffles pretty much my whole life. We weren't particularly close, but we were still friends." She leaned back, smiling as she spoke. "When he moved to Ylisstol, we got closer. I considered him a close brother-in-arms. And, like you already know, he is quite the flirt. He often flirted with me, but I always brushed him off. One day, while he was flirting with some maiden, I decided that I only wanted his flirts to be directed towards me."

"What did you do? Did you tell him about your feelings?" I asked, voice a bit squeaky.

She snickered. "Hell no! While he was chatting up a girl, I took him by the collar and kissed him! At that moment, we realized we were mates." Her confident smirk morphed into a warm smile. "We had the bond officiated not even an hour later."

Cherche leaned over to me and whispered, "Yeah, and no one saw them for an entire week afterward."

I felt my whole body flush at her words.

"S-so it just...happens? Randomly?"

"Not all the time," Cherche replied. "Libra and I never really courted, but we did go on occasional dates. See, we were both raised to be clerics, so we pretty much grew up together. Of course, he was the only one of us to actually finish their training and become a cleric; I much preferred the life of a soldier. But, we never stopped being friends. I harbored feelings for him for a while, and I was the one to confess my feelings to him on Yulemas Eve. To my luck, he returned them. And thus, our bond was sealed with a kiss."

I chuckled. "I'm starting to see a pattern."

"It's common for the mating bond to solidify during a kiss," Sumia explained. "Frederick and I...well, I guess you can call us a unique case."

Cherche nudged her. "You got that right! Now, tell Anna the story! It's one of my favorites!"

"Ok! Ok! Calm down!" she giggled. "Well, this is somewhat uncommon, but not extremely rare, but Frederick and I actually courted for a while before we realized we were mates," she smiled. "We knew we loved each other but were scared because nothing was happening. The mating bond doesn't actually solidify until you're both adults, but we were adults by then. We were starting to think that we weren't truly meant for each other. Then...tragedy struck..."

I noticed that she began to shake. "Frederick had left on a mission regarding some bandits, but he went alone," she muttered. "When he returned to Ylisstol, he was on Death's door. The second I laid eyes on his beaten body, I felt it. I knew we were mates. I kicked and screamed for the healers to let me see him, but they wouldn't allow it. He was already so weak and any little disturbance could send him over the edge.

"I was so close to beating down every wolf who stood in my way. I needed to see my mate. The few days that I was kept from seeing him were the worst in my life. I heard reports from the healers that he felt restless to see me as well. And...when I was finally allowed to see him, we knew that the bond was true. We were mates."

I was speechless. ...Holy gods. I can't believe Sumia went through all of that! Now I know why those two are so protective of each other! Naga knows I would be absolutely broken if that ever happened to Chrom!

"Anna...if you don't mind me asking, is there any particular reason you're asking to hear our love stories?" Cherche asked.

I dug my nails into my palms. "N-no! No reason! I just wanted to know them!" My mate is someone I share a soul with. I've always felt that Chrom and I had a special connection, but I don't know if that's it. Maybe it has something to do with The Rite? He did give me his blood, after all...

The girls exchanged a knowing glance. "Whatever you say..." Sully chuckled, patting my back.

"We hope the best for you two!" Sumia winked.

I hid my face in my hands. "SHUSH! I DON'T HAVE A POTENTIAL MATE!"

I bet they can see right through my lies. Oh, well. Still...I'm uncertain about Chrom and I. These feelings I have...sometimes I feel like they're more than just love. Could he be my mate? Who am I kidding? I don't want to give my hopes up. There's no way. There really isn't.

I'll just have to wait for the day these feelings dissapear.

*****
Lies, Anna. Lies........ Also, I think LibraxCherche is a very underrated ship. Granted, it's been a while since I've seen their supports. Oh well. I still ship it. Also blond Gerome is everything. Now you know their love stories! I had a lot of fun writing Frederick and Sumia's. Maybe I'll write a story about them someday. 😉 Anyway, I'm feeling a lot better and I think I'll be able to get a chapter of HSY by Friday. We'll see. Thank you so much for reading and look forward to reading more!

Link: https://youtu.be/GnFOiALaocg