"Augh! Gods!"

When the man named Vaike clapped his arm around my shoulders, he almost knocked me to the ground. He was smiling and laughing, so I knew he was in good spirits, but I cursed my own timidity when Katie snickered.

"Heya there, squirt!" Vaike chortled. "You kids the new recruits Chrom was mentioning?"

Katie nodded, still giggling. "Yes, sir." Vaike didn't look to be of any higher nobility then the two of us, but I still felt proud of her manners in calling him 'sir'. "Please, don't mind my brother, he's just a bit fragile."

"Katie!" My face was as red as a Fire tome, my tone livid with humiliation. "That's enough!"

Behind her, Lissa joined in the laughter. "Don't break him, Vaike," She warned, still smiling. I felt humiliated.

"Must not be too steady on your feet, huh, champ?" That tree-thick arm was removed from my shoulders, and I could stand easier. "Still, you must be one hell of a fighter to impress Chrom, so no sweat! Teach can show you guys the ropes just fine!"

"I thought clowning around was natural," Lissa cracked playfully at him. "Now it can be taught?"

The trek to meet the other Shepherds at their garrison in Ylisstol hadn't been especially long or arduous, except for our run in with the living dead...but, I chose to keep it out of my mind, for the moment.

"Wh-where are the others?" I asked, backing away from Vaike a step. Chrom was in a meeting with his sister, Exalt Emmeryn, to discuss the Plegian threat, and Frederick was(thankfully) with him. Lissa had mentioned other soldiers(or Shepherds, I suppose) that were training at the barracks, but so far, Vaike seemed to be the only one.

Then, in my ear, a voice as mild and soft as a mouse muttered, "Training is almost over for today. The others'll be here soon."

Jumping almost a foot, I cursed loudly as I turned, hand already on the hilt of my bronze sword. A short, stout man in heavy, ill-fitting armor stood behind me, somewhat leaning against the wall.

Katie sucked in a sharp breath when she noticed him. "Gods, man, where in hell did you come from?!" She barked.

Gently yet forcefully, Lissa removed my hand from my weapon. "Relax, you guys," She reassured us. "Kellam's a Shepherd, too!"

"Nobody noticed I was there today...again," Kellam sighed. "I heard about the new recruits, and thought I'd help welcome you." His words implied this wasn't the first time he had been mistakenly overlooked.

Kellam seemed rather sad about being so ignored...and I felt horrible for how my sister and I reacted to him. The only right thing to do was to correct my behavior.

Putting what I hoped was a warm smile on my face, I extended my hand to Kellam. "I'm so sorry that we didn't notice you sooner, Kellam," I apologized. "And for, um, almost drawing my sword on you. My name is Kat, and this is my twin sister, Katie."

My introduction managed to put a smile on that round face. "Very nice to meet you, Kat!"

We found a table in the barracks for us all to sit at, and waited for the others to finish their training. I wanted to get to know Kellam better, but when I took my eye off of him, he seemed to just...vanish.

After a few minutes of chitchat between us, Lissa, and Vaike, I heard a door open that wasn't the one we had entered from.

"Lissa, darling!" A young woman with curled blonde hair, dressed in frilly pink, came running through the barracks. She hugged Lissa fiercely, as if they hadn't seen each other in weeks.

Oh, wow...this girl, she can't possibly be a soldier, can she? She looked too...prim. Girly. This was a rather sexist viewpoint on my part, I'll gladly recognize, yet it was still how I saw it.

"Maribelle!" Lissa exhaled happily, hugging back just as enthusiastically.

"Oh, Lissa, I've been so worried," Maribelle fretted. "I've sprouted 14 gray hairs, worrying for your life!" She released Lissa, and inspected Katie and I as if we were dirt on the heel of her boots. "Oh, my...who are these two...children?" She sounded skeptical.

Katie cleared her throat. "My name is Katie, ma'am," She introduced herself. "The one with the blank stare over there, is my brother, Kat. Chrom's allowed us to join the Shepherds, after we helped clear a town of brigands."

Ruby eyes scanned me, and I blushed as Maribelle appraised me. "But you two are so...young. And scrawny. It looks as if Chrom had picked you up off of the streets like this brute!" She nodded towards Vaike, obviously ignorant to how right she was.

Vaike laughed at the snide comment. "Who're we to argue about having more man power?" He asked rhetorically. "He was ready to spring with that sword when Kellam scared him just a minute ago! These kids are real fighters!"

Maribelle huffed. "How curt, to be so ready to attack a stranger." She turned, disgusted, and left the barracks.

I sighed out a thick sigh, relieved to be rid of her. Out of all the bad impressions I had made yet, she was the only one to take full offense.

"Don't listen to what Maribelle says, Kat," Lissa comforted me warmly. "She's kind of slow to warm up to people..."

"...Or too quick to burn!" Vaike added.

Shortly after Maribelle's exit, several more Shepherds trickled in and out, eager to meet the mysterious new recruits. The mage, Miriel, who was fascinated by our being twins and both losing our memories; a cavalier in green armor, Stahl, who was eating a half-peeled potato and tried to offer to share with us; and the next newest recruit, a girl named Sumia who seemed even clumsier than I was.

Although, and this was possibly the queerest thing, I couldn't seem to find Kellam again for the rest of that day.