I get up and follow my brother across the field as fast as we can towards Mama. She smiles and kneels with her arms open, waiting for us to reach her. Brother Lance reaches her first and he leaps into her embrace. She wraps one of her arms around him and keeps the other one ready for me. When I reach her, she embraces the both of us tightly and I feel her kiss the top of my head.

After a moment, brother Lance steps back but I wrap my arms around Mama's neck. Brother Lance smiles up at me as Mama picks me up, so I smile back. Oscar and Boyd behind us has stopped clunking their weapons and have started bickering again about their battle tactics. They do this sometimes. It is nothing but amusing though.

Until they start saying details that I do not want to hear. It somewhat saddens me that I kind of understand what they are talking about now.

I glue my gaze on Papa Greil as I notice him approaching us from inside the keep with Papa in tow. It has been a while since I have gotten a chance to speak with him. Lately, he has been busy speaking to Mama, Papa and everyone else about battle stuff. That is why I stay away practicing alone. I don't want to hear those words anymore.

Looks like I am going to be hearing these words more and more now. I expect Mama to either want me to come along now or will allow me to if I ask again.

I feel myself wanting to push those thoughts away. They haunt me like a bitter cold threatening to spin around me like a snowstorm. But if I don't, then I will never learn to be as strong as Mama and protect everyone, like my brother. I must, no matter how much I don't want to.

Papa Greil stops before Mama while keeping his gaze on me, with a half-smile and his arms crossed over his chest, "You have grown so much, boy. Your strength is shining brightly, like your mother's,"

I smile slightly. His words are kind but I have more to learn, Papa Greil. There is much more I just know Mama has yet been able to teach me, "She used more than her strength to teach me. Mama is very strong,"

I reposition myself to be more comfortable in Mama's hold, "I still feel like I have a way to go. She still has much to teach me,"

Mama and Papa Greil chuckles at my answer as he widens his grin at me, "You believe that, boy?" Knowing your mother, she has already taught you what she knows. She learns from you now,"

Wait... what?

I widen my eyes as I shift a bit and turn more towards Papa Greil, "Wha—What?" But Mama is super strong! How can that be so, Papa Greil?"

How would Papa Greil know? How come he thinks Mama is weak? I cannot possibly be that strong, can I?

Papa Greil chuckles at me again. Mama has to be stronger than me...

"Where do you think your strength comes from then, boy?"

Where it comes from? It comes from Mama of course... right? Well, even if she teaches me something, it is up to me to learn and then use it. Well... if she cannot teach me anything else, that does not mean she is weaker than me! But, she was trained by Papa Greil right? Maybe he can teach me something too...? Then I can become stronger than I am now!

I swiftly slide my gaze back up to meet Papa Greil's and narrow my gaze, "How about you, Papa Greil? You taught Mama too before, right?"

Papa chuckles this time from behind Mama and he whispers something to her, or himself. I cannot hear what he says though. Papa Greil widens his gaze at me for a moment before narrowing his gaze on mine, "Ho, ho, ho! I like you, boy. You think you are ready for me?"

It feels like an eternity that he stares at me. Did I ask something strange? Does he actually have time or want to train with me? I have not had much sword training yet. I have only really been training with my magic Mama taught me to use. I almost feel a bit exposed for the amount of time it feels like Papa Greil watches me.

After another moment, he grins at me again, "I accept,"

Wait, he does? Great! I have yet trained with Papa Greil before. I have seen him train some before and he is very strong! The way he swings his large axe around is fast and full of power. He has no problem swinging it and it has a massive blade on one side. No wonder Mama and Papa are so strong... Papa Greil trained them both at some point. I cannot wait to try and see how strong I am compared to him!

I lean my head back down onto Mama's shoulder and tighten my grip I have on her neck. I slide my gaze down to my brother standing beside us and he smiles up at me. I give him another half-smile as Mama sways back and forth like she used to do when I was younger. Swaying like this always calmed me.

And it still does.

"You were great back there, Star! Always two steps ahead of me!" Boyd calls from somewhere nearby, within the small silence between himself and his brothers.

"She's always two steps ahead of you, idiot meathead!" Ralf squabbles back, "It takes skill to be! It obviously does not take much to have more of that than you!"

"Hey! What did you call me, squirt?" Boyd answers, followed with a grunt he always does while entering my view to ruffle Ralf's hair, "Didn't I say that power is clearly more important than skill?" He continues while raising his other index finger up into the air so Ralf can see.

Ralf pushes his brother's hand away and frowns, "Yes, and you are wrong! Skill does much more! Higher ability for critical hits and higher hit rates!"

Boyd raises his brow and places his hands on his hips, "No, power! It is pointless if you hit them but cannot hurt them!"

It is at this point that I space out and ignore all the talk of war, pain and death. I have always liked the brothers, but their arguments over what is better in war always turns my stomach. Ever since my conversation with Mama, I have avoided most gatherings now and I have stopped listening to the random babble amongst the others around the keep.

Why is that so? Why does the thing I have always known, training and learning the arts of fighting, all of a sudden turn my stomach? Maybe I did not realize what the training was for... until Mama drilled it into my head. I was so focused on actually learning the magic that I failed to understand the larger picture.

I slide my gaze back down to my brother as he watches the brothers with a grin and chuckles at their disagreements. Maybe that is why my brother has noticed I have been staying away from everyone more often.

I watch as Papa picks him up and steps beside Mama, while grunting. Maybe he also finds some amusement between the arguing brothers. Papa probably thinks their quarrelling is silly because he clearly already knows all the answers. Why else would he just be standing by and chuckling at their logic instead of chiming in with what they should be doing?

The answer is obviously that each ability has its uses. If you have a low ability, that is what you should be focusing on. I am sure those brothers know that. They just argue a lot because that is what they do. It would not be Oscar, Boyd and Ralf if they did not argue with each other at all.

"How about you, Lance?" You have grown much as well, boy. Looking more and more like your father,"

Papa Greil's voice breaks my thoughts and the arguing stops to a silence to allow him to speak. Brother Lance's smile widens as he slides his gaze up to meet Papa Greil's, "Really? You think so, Papa Greil? I want to be just like Papa! I'm going to learn everything he knows and someday I will! Papa is the best!"

Papa chuckles as his smile widens while watching his father and brother Lance before speaking himself with his deep voice, "You're getting there, boy. Ragnell will be the ultimate test for you,"

Brother Lance's smile widens to an open mouth smile, "I get to use Ragnell? I have been wanting to forever, Papa! I cannot possibly be just like you if I do not!"

Papa chuckles again while keeping up a smile. I hardly ever see that smile. He only smiles like that when he is talking to brother Lance. It will happen, brother. You will be strong too, like both Mama and Papa. We both will.

"Just like old times, eh Greil?" Titania's sweet voice fades in from somewhere nearby. Mama turns slightly and she appears in view, with her green eyes, bright and shiny white armor and her long red hair surrounding her face just like Mama's.

She softly chuckles, "I remember Ike saying something like that when he was a boy,"

Papa Greil smiles and nods towards her while keeping his gaze on Papa and brother Lance, "Yeah, good memories,"

"He was a quiet one though. He kept trying, without a word," Papa looks over at her, "And look where he is now,"

I never thought of Papa being quiet when he was young and in training. Maybe he has more in common with me than I thought he did. Papa is great. No one has to tell me that. I already know.

Loud and disconcerting sounds approach from the distance. Everyone seems to know what to do as Papa Greil spins around towards the sounds. Those sounds. They sound like armor... they sound like war... Mama and Papa are about to leave again...

"Greil Mercenaries, prepare for battle. The King requires our assistance. Our goal is to protect Castle Ylisse, now GO!"

Papa Greil swiftly and sternly spins around and begins charging down the path towards the sounds while Titania swiftly follows behind on her white armored horse mount. I feel something emerge within me as I suddenly feel dizzy and ill. I climb down from Mama's embrace, knowing what I must do. Mama and Papa glance at each other for a moment before Papa spins around to take brother Lance inside the keep.

I watch him disappear inside, then back by Mama's side before I narrow my gaze and get Mama's attention, "I'm coming too, Mama,"

She glances up to Papa, then back to me. I see something wash around in her eye before she nods sternly. Is Mama nervous? Why? What am I getting myself into? This will be my first assignment as a mercenary...

"I feel a sense of dread, Ike," Mama's voice comes out soft and feeble. I have never heard her voice like this before.

No... not nervous. It is something more. What does Mama know that I don't? Why would she dread doing something she was so stern with me about before? We must protect the King, right? Just like what Papa Greil just said, right? That is what you always told me before, Mama...

Papa grunts to her response, "Me too. Something feels different this time. Father knew without being told a thing and Lucina did not appear or anything,"

Mama nods, "Come, let's go catch up to Papa,"

"Don't worry, hun, I will protect you," Papa answers before they both sprint off after Papa Greil and the others. I run after them and grab Mama's hand, not wanting to get too far from them.

She then swiftly spins around and looks down at me with a weird look in her eye, "Wait, Merric,"

Her eyes soften as she looks down at me and she grasps my hands with hers, "Please make sure Lance is safe before following us... please be careful, Merric,"

Her eyes plead with mine and I am almost shocked to the way she says this to me. I feel an overwhelming feeling waft from her as she studies me for a moment. Her eyes dart around my face like she has not seen me in years before slowly dropping my hands. She slides her fingers across my cheek before she spins around. Papa waits for her before following her close behind. He gives me a quick nod and I nod back, before they disappear into the forest.

I feel something erupt from within me as I suddenly feel goosebumps appear all over my body. I spin around and tread back towards the keep and dart inside. I force back the overwhelming urge to drop a tear down my face as my brother finds my gaze. The pain on his face as he looks back at me breaks my heart. The room suddenly feels as though the temperature has dropped ten degrees like fear does when it envelopes you.

I feel as though I am going to lose the battle before it even starts when my brother takes a step towards me and his face appears from the darkness. The pain on his face becomes apparent and then fear is emerging in his eyes once again. I fight with all of my might to keep the tears at bay.

My heart shatters into a million pieces when my brother suddenly bursts into frantic tears and thrusts himself into my embrace.

Has baby Lance figured out what is going on? Why did he start crying? :(

What does Star and Ike mean by feeling dread? Do you remember what is about to happen?