Chrom
8 Months Later...

It took almost one whole year, but my training was finally complete. I thought my days of secret training were over, but I was dead wrong. With the help of Frederick convincing one of the army commanders to teach me their ways and even some aid from the master-of-arms, my training was able to be kept under wraps.

One week after I turned 17, I was ready to present Emm with my idea to start my own militia.

"Remember, Milord, keep your head high. Persist with everything that you are," Frederick instructed as we made our way to the Great Hall. "What is the first rule of being a general?"

"Never back down and fight on." I could recite all the rules and codes in my sleep. After countless hours of lectures, training, and actually going out and fighting with the army, I was more than confident with my knowledge.

The only other person to know about my plans was Lissa, who was with us. "I believe in you Chrom! There's no way Emm can refuse!"

I swallowed, nodding. "I certainly hope so." I am insane. I don't know why I thought this was a good idea! I have so many thoughts and worries! I don't even know if this will really work! It's too late to back down now. I may be more worried beyond compare, but I have to do this. I have to protect Ylisse.

We stopped at the doors to the Great Hall. Frederick was already ready to tell the guards to open the door. "Are you ready?"

I drew in a breath. "It's now or never."

The doors opened.

Emm turned to face us, surprise written on her face. Phila was there, as well. "Chrom, what are you doing here? I thought you were out training?" In her hands was a cup of tea. She daintily lifted the cup to her lips and took a sip

I won't back down. I won't take no for an answer. I marched right up to her, fists clenched and chest puffed out in pride. "I want to start my own militia."

Emm's eyes widened as she nearly choked on her tea. "...Excuse me?"

"I want to start a militia," I repeated myself. "It is my duty to protect Ylisse and her people. I've done enough sitting around. It's time to take action before it's too late." I could tell Phila wanted to speak. But, resolve flashed in her eyes and she slowly nodded at me. She understands.

Emm set her cup down, taking a deep breath. "I-I see. Chrom, you must understand that leading an army is not just something you decide to do on a whim. You have to-"

"He's already ten steps ahead of you," Frederick interrupted. "Milord has been training with one of our finest generals for about a year. Along with his field experience, his abilities to lead are more than ready."

Lissa nodded. "It's true! I've watched his progress! Chrom can lead armies in his sleep!"

I wouldn't say I'm that confident! However, I didn't let my anxieties show. "I don't want a handful of soldiers to command around at my will. No, my plan is something much different." With a shaky breath, I began to share my vision. "I want a collection of different people. Knights, mages, healers, and so on, working as one unit. I want to bring together all kinds of people from different backgrounds and experiences. We will fight for Ylisse and her people and solve her problems, no matter how big or small."

Before Emm could say anything, I kept talking. "I know you don't really see me as someone who is truly ready to take on the world and all its challenges. You don't see me as someone worthy for Falchion and that's fine. I don't need a special blade to fight for my country," I spoke. "Please, Emm, let me do this. I promise that you won't regret it."

Silence.

All Emm did was stare at me in awe. I held my ground and prepared for her rejection. What was the point? She's going to hate the idea. I know it.

However, what she did next took the whole room by surprise.

She got up from the throne and took me into her arms, hugging tightly. I didn't know what to do; I was frozen in confusion. Although I was almost a head taller than her, I still felt like a small child whenever she hugged me.

Then, she pulled away, tears welled up in the corners of her eyes. "I'm so proud of you." She embraced me once more and whispered, "If you gain enough support for this cause, I will see what I can do in matters of support."

My heart nearly leaped out of my chest. "R-really?!"

She giggled. "Really." Her proud expression softened to a more serious one. "But I want you to be careful, all right? As much as you may want to, I will not allow you to go on serious missions ar first."

I nodded vigorously. "Of course! Absolutely! I won't let you down!" I laughed, turning on my heels to face Frederick. "Frederick, start scouting around for possible members! I want us to get started as fast as possible!"

Frederick chuckled. "Right away, Milord."

Lissa piped in, "I'll write Maribelle! She's a really good healer!"

Excitement burned within me and I could barely breathe without chuckling happily. I can't believe this! This is actually happening! I get to form a new militia! And I know exactly who to ask to join...

...

"Hell yeah, I'll join!" Sully barked, smacking me on the back. "Why didn't you tell me about this sooner?"

I coughed and regained my composure. Gods, she almost knocked the winds out of me! "I had to keep it quiet for a while. I got Emm to accept the idea just today. She said that if I could get a good number of people to join, she'll support us."

"Well, you can count me in!" The red-head smirked. "Lucky for you, my commander was just about to assign us to new units. If I request to join yours, it'll be smooth sailing. In fact, I think I may know someone who would be interested in joining."

I nodded. "Good. We need all the able bodies we can get."

Sully raised an eyebrow. "Hold on a moment, what exactly is the name of this militia?"

...Oh. A name. I forgot about that.

"You don't have one?"

"Nope."

"Well, it'll come to ya. Just wait," she sighed. "So do you have anyone else in mind?"

I chewed on my lower lip and exhaled. "Yes, I do. Frederick will be my second-in-command, so he's already a member. As for other people, I want to ask Sumia if she would be interested. Lissa's hoping to recruit Maribelle as well. Frederick is going to scout for other people, so hopefully, all falls into place."

Although, Sumia may be more tricky to recruit. She trained as a Pegasus Knight for a few years but had to stop for whatever reasons. I don't think she's done much training since then, so who knows what her views are on fighting. I would ask Cordelia if she would be interested, but she's already busy with being a full-fledged Pegasus Knight. Plus, Phila would kill me if I took one of her cadets. 

"Sounds like a plan." She clicked her tongue. "I'll introduce you to Stahl later. We trained in Knight Academy together since we both joined. Won't find a more loyal and determined man like him anywhere." As she spoke, her face lit up. "Oh! Virion's been stationed in Ylisse for emissary matters for a while and I don't think he'll be leaving any time soon. He's a good archer. Perhaps he'll be of use?"

"Absolutely. We need all the hands we can-"

"Milord! We already have someone interested in joining!" Frederick burst into the room, panting.

He didn't have to run anywhere... I shook away my thoughts and smiled. "That's great! Who are they?"

Before my knight could say anything, someone entered the room as if nothing had happened. Standing there was a tall woman. She had short red hair, glasses, and black mage robes. Atop her head was a floppy hat with a brim that could shield her entire body from the sun. 

Without any introductions, she strolled up to me. "It has come to my attention that you wish to administer an experimental group of combatants in order to strike hope into the souls of the kingdom of Ylisee." She adjusted her glasses. "My apologies, Lord Chrom, you must be inquiring my name. You may refer to me as Miriel."

What...what is going on? I cleared my throat. "Well, it's a pleasure to meet you, Miriel. I'm glad that you have an interest in joining." I held out my hand, offering for her to shake it. "If you don't mind me asking, what are any skills you have to possibly-"

Before I could finish my sentence, the woman shoved a piece of parchment into my hand, completely disregarding etiquette. "You will find this record's contents are of all of my professions and abilities. I assure you that you will find one of them fit for your cause."

As I scanned the list, confusion overwhelming me. She's certainly more than qualified for literally anything, but I can barely read this! The only words that popped out to me were mage and scholar. "Er, this says you're a mage, correct?"

The reflective glare in her glasses seemed to flash in an answer. "Affirmative."

"Can you use any kind of combat magic?"

"I most certainly can. However, fire is the power I am most proficient in."

I tucked the list away, standing straighter. That's all I needed to hear. She could have just said that in the first place. It will be good to have a highly educated person in this militia. I'm sure her assets will be much more diverse than just her magic. "We will be happy to have you, Miriel!"

The mage cracked what I was sure she thought of as a smile, dipping her head. "Many thanks, My Lord." She pulled a parchment and quill out of her pocket and began to walk away. "If you will excuse me, I must write to my superiors about this change. If you have urgent need for me, request for Miriel Willowshire and I shall respond posthaste." I could hear her murmuring under her breath as she wrote. She was saying something about inexperience, high-hopes, and comparing us to shepherds herding sheep. 

The door clicked shut, my companions and I stood there in absolute silence. 

"That...was something else," Sully coughed. "Well, at least numbers are growing, right?"

I nodded slowly. "Indeed..." I turned to my knight. "Frederick, can you write to Sumia asking if she would like to consider joining?"

Frederick bowed. "Right away, Milord."

As he left, Sully elbowed me. "How 'bout I introduce you to Stahl? I can assure you that his recruitment won't be as confusing as Miriel's."

I chuckled, nodding. "Very well. I'm looking forward to meeting him."

...

Walking through the barracks was always something I enjoyed. The soldiers within always respected my presence, whether it was with a salute or bow, although I frequently insisted that such things were unnecessary.

Dealing with nobles and parties required me to wear a mask; however, being among soldiers and training grounds allowed to me un-filter myself. 

"He should be around here, somewhere." Sully clicked her tongue, eyes scanning around the barracks for her friend.

I kept my hands behind my back, nervously fidgeting with them. I don't even know what to expect! "What's Stahl like? What makes you think he'd be so eager to join?"

Sully gave me a look, her lip quirked up to the side. "Trust me, you'll understand why once you meet him," she said. "As for what he's like, well, he has an incredibly kind heart. His generosity extends to everyone, no matter what. He's actually a pretty good medic. His father was an apothecary and he grew up learning the trade before he decided to become a knight."

I nodded, pieces of this person starting to fit together. "Why did he become a knight, then?"

"Same reason as the rest of us," she sighed. "Sick of Plegians and bandits beating us down. He wanted to join the fight to protect Ylisse."

An honorable man, I see. Something tells me that he and I are going to get along.

Finally, we approached a long corridor containing the rooms of the cadets. Sully, knocked on one of them, hard. "Stahl, you in here?"

"Oh, Sully, is that you? Yes, come on in!" A voice replied. Given what I just heard, this Stahl's voice wasn't rendered down by any gruffness or rasp. 

My red-haired friend opened the door and strolled inside like she owned the place. Facing away from us was a young man in a black wool sweater and brown pants. His hair was an olive-brown color and styled into a messy cow-lick.

He turned to Sully, a kind smile on his face. "What can I do for you-" He cut off abruptly as soon as he saw me, disbelief flooding his face. "I-is that-"

"Prince Chrom? Yeah," Sully huffed a laugh then gave me a knowing look. "Annnd you're going to understand what I was talking about really soon."

Immediately, Stahl knelt down in an overly dramatic and unnecessary bow. "Mi-milord! It-it's an honor to even be in your presence! Wha-whatever service do you require of me?"

I held up my hands and chuckled nervously. Now I see what Sully meant. "There's no need for that, you may rise."

"Eep! Sorry!" Stahl hastily stood and tried his best to keep eye contact with me, his face redder than a tomato. "Wh-what can I do for you?" 

That's more like it! "You see, I'm starting my own militia and am currently looking for people who would like to join. Sully has told me many things about you and has mentioned you in the past, and you seem like a very honorable man." I smiled, more confidence growing inside of me as I spoke. This truly is an amazing idea! I don't know why I ever doubted it! I can do this! "Anyway, my point is, would you be interested in joining?"

He stood there, mouth agape like a trout, noises of disbelief escaping now and then. Sully slapped him on the back. "Are you gonna faint? Don't keep Chrom waiting!" she laughed.

Then, Stahl was back to dramatically bowing once more. "It would be my absolute honor, Prince Chrom! Thank you for even considering me as an option!" he exclaimed. "I swear on my life to never let me down!"

"L-let's not talk about life and death, now!" I chuckled, scratching the back of my head. Someone's definitely enthusiastic! 

He stood up, nervous energy still radiating off of him, but managing to find composure. "Um, if you don't mind me asking, Milord, but what is the name of this militia?"

Again with the name. Dammit, I think I'll have to come up with it sooner rather than later. "W-well, you see... It's, um..." Titling this are not my forte! C'mon! How hard can it be to name a militia! Gods, what are the names of some militias I've already heard of? The Nightengales? The Companions? Why is it so hard to come up with names?!

Maybe I should name us after our goal? The Protectors of Ylisse? No, too wordy. Ylisse's Guardians? Eh, doesn't quite roll off the tongue nicely. I could just call it The Prince's Militia, but that just doesn't sound right. I want this to be about every member. And now that I am thinking more about it, I want to do more than protect Ylisse. Sure, she will always be my main priority, but if there are other places that need help, then I want to be able to provide that!

All right, here is what we are: we are a group of soldiers who protect those who are unable to. We will help to provide peace, order, and stability. I will lead my people to safety, no matter what. We will tend to the needs of our people.

Wait.

What did Miriel say ealier?

"We're...uh, we're called the Shepherds!"

"Really? The Shepherds?" Sully gawked at me. 

"The Shepherds..." Stahl echoed. "That's...that's an interesting name."

I had to fight back my cringe. Now that I say it out loud and have the reactions of the others, I realize how stupid this sounds. Looks like it's back to the drawing-

"I like it!" Stahl suddenly spoke. "And it makes a lot of sense, too! After all, if the people are your sheep, you have a lot of them to tend to!"

Hope refilled me. "Really?"

"Ehh... I still think it's weird, but it is kinda growing on me," Sully admitted. "Whatever decisions you make, Chrom, we'll support you no matter what. Even if they happen to be stupid."

I rolled my eyes and pretended not to hear that last part. "Thank you both. I promise that you won't regret this! Prince's honor!"

You know what? I think the name is growing on me, too. Although I do know that I will be relentlessly teased about it by Lissa and Emm. Oh, well. 

*****

HOLY CRAP THIS WAS LITERALLY ONE OF THE LONGEST THINGS I'VE EVER WRITTEN. AHHHHH. So due to the fact that next Tuesday is Christmas, I won't be posting a Before Awakening chapter next week. That's one of the reasons this chapter was so long, it's basically two chapters in one (and I'm totally not saying that to cover up the fact that I decided to say the heck with it and write the recruitment of some characters right now). I will be posting something next Tuesday, though, to those of you who have been reading my Christmas mini-series, The Best is Yet to Come. As for HSY, well, I'm pretty sure I have time to write the next chapter, but it really depends on how this week turns out. I'm usually very busy around the holidays and managing homework before break (because teacher's love to give tests this week) and The Best is Yet to Come can prove very challenging. Plus, The Best is Yet to Come is kind of my main priority at the moment. I should really be more organized but life hasn't really given me much time to do that. XD Hopefully, things will be easier to handle soon. A big portion of that will be because Before Awakening will be coming to a close very soon, probably early next year. Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhh I'm so not ready but I'm also very excited to start what I have planned next. You'll find out very soon ;) Yeah, I'll save the sappy speeches for the Afterthoughts. XD Thank you so much for reading and look forward to reading more!