Chapter 50
"I hope you are satisfied," said Rémy with a tone of voice that revealed a certain concern to please Pierre. He picked up the spear that was on his back again, while Pierre was still stunned, surprised by Rémy's speed and strength.
"Sir Rémy!" Guillaume appeared running towards them and stopped beside Rémy. "I didn't find anything suspicious," he said after a brief pause. Rémy thoughtfully looked at the horizon, as if he were searching for something he couldn't see.
"It's too quiet... Something is happening," murmured Rémy with a worried tone in his voice. He looked at the soldiers who accompanied him and realized they were also restless since they had not sighted any English soldiers yet.
"Let's wait until afternoon. If no one appears, we'll come back tomorrow," decided Rémy, sitting on a nearby rock. The other soldiers followed his example and sat on the ground, since there was nothing else to do.
"Did they change their route? Are they going another way? They must have realized their things aren't reaching their allies," said Griffin, slapping François's head lightly, who didn't expect it.
"Can't you be quiet?" complained François, punching Griffin, who dodged and stepped away, laughing.
"You have to be more alert so you won't be caught off guard," said Griffin elegantly, as if he were extremely concerned about him.
"Could you two be more serious? Especially when we're in front of someone important?" said Pierre, punching the ground, which shook a bit due to the force he exerted.
"Why? I see Sir Rémy doesn't care about that," retorted Griffin, pointing to Rémy, who was smiling.
"But have manners!" shouted Pierre. They should at least be elegant in front of someone important.
"Pierre, you don't have to be so serious. I said I don't care. I think it's cool that even in these times, you're having fun," said Rémy with a friendly tone of voice, waving his hand up and down, indicating that he didn't mind.
"See? I told you." Griffin approached Pierre and with a mischievous smile ran his finger over his bald head. Pierre didn't like it at all and punched Griffin, who had already moved away quickly. Rémy noticed that Griffin was very agile and skilled.
"Relax, man," said Griffin, looking at Pierre with a mix of amusement and provocation.
"And you need to stop bothering others," intervened François, who was tired of Griffin's senseless jokes.
Curious, Rémy asked, "So, what do you plan to do when this war is over?" He didn't bother hiding the optimism he felt about the end of the war, after all, he would do everything in his power to make it happen.
"If this war ever ends, I plan to become a noble," stated Griffin seriously. The ambitious look in his eyes left no doubt as to the strength of his desire. "I don't want to live in poverty again. After the war, forget it."
Pierre didn't have the same dream of nobility, but he wanted to be as strong as he could. "I want to be stronger than I already am," he said.
"How boring," joked Griffin, "why do you want that strength? To make your hair grow again? Sorry, but that's not going to happen." Pierre glared at him angrily but didn't say anything.
Antoine, who had not spoken until then, broke the silence: "I want to be able to see people's happiness again." His voice was calm and quiet, but there was an unwavering sincerity in his words. "Deep down in my heart, what I want most is to see people happy."
Rémy looked at him and saw Jeanne in his expression. She too wanted to help everyone and see happiness on their faces. Every word Antoine spoke was accompanied by a genuine smile that showed his commitment to the cause.
"I want to come out of this war alive and see my daughter and wife," François said, his voice full of hope. He couldn't wait to go back home and reunite with the two people he loved most in the world.
François' words made Rémy think: "Daughter? Maybe someday..." He looked at François, who was almost crying just thinking about seeing his wife and daughter, and felt a pang in his heart.
"Is it yours?" Rémy asked, looking at Guillaume, who had not yet spoken. Guillaume was surprised to be called upon, as he did not expect Rémy to be paying attention to him and wanting to know his opinion and dreams.
"Me? I haven't decided yet. I'm thinking about what I want to do..." Guillaume was undecided and afraid that Rémy would think something of him for not having a defined dream or goal like the others.
"Don't worry, take your time," Rémy said to Guillaume.
"So, Sir Rémy, what is your dream?" Griffin asked, curious to know what Rémy wanted to do. Unlike the others, who have a chance of dying, Rémy has a great chance of surviving. The others only have a small hope of coming out alive.
"My dream? I think I want to be the strongest. So, are you competing with me, Pierre?" Rémy talked about one of his dreams, which he will definitely make happen. Pierre did not expect Rémy to have the same dream as him and felt a little down remembering Rémy's strength, but soon this became inspiration for him to get stronger.
"You see? His dream makes sense since he has hair. Yours, not so much," Griffin said, laughing. He loosened up even more and patted Pierre on the head, making a noise because of his baldness.
"Leave my bald head alone!" Pierre shouted and tried to catch Griffin with his strong arms, but he had already moved away, making Pierre even more irritated.
"Someday he'll catch you, and you'll get beaten up!" François said as he carefully touched his bow, wiping the string slowly while watching Griffin's playfulness.
"Maybe by that day, I'll be old, hahaha," Griffin laughed loudly and sat down next to François, who was alert for Griffin's jokes.
Before they knew it, it was late and there was no sign of English soldiers nearby.
"Looks like there was no fight today," Rémy said with a laugh as he stood up from where he was sitting.
Griffin joked in response, "Only because I wanted to test my strength," getting up from his seat with a smile.
François, not missing the chance to tease, said, "You're so weak that I find it hard to believe you succeeded," making Griffin stick his tongue out at him.
Rémy, realizing it was time to leave, mounted his red horse, which was already nearby, and followed by the soldiers with him, left the area. It didn't take long for them to reach the roads that led to the camp.
On the way back, Gilles joined them with his own soldiers and asked, "So, did you find any English soldiers?"
"In fact, you haven't found anything either," Rémy replied, looking at the soldiers and Gilles as he spoke.
Gilles agreed, "Strange, isn't it? They probably changed routes or simply didn't come today."
"Maybe," Rémy responded with uncertainty in his voice. They soon arrived at the camp, and Rémy went straight to the tent where he stayed, pondering what could have happened for them not to find any enemy soldiers.
Rémy hurriedly entered his tent, eager to get rid of the armor that had accompanied him all day. Upon realizing that Jeanne was not present, he deduced that she must be busy with some strategy to deal with the soldiers. He walked over to the map drawn on the ground, admiring the young woman's ability to accurately map.
As he watched the map, Rémy couldn't help but be impressed by the meticulous details that Jeanne had recorded. It was possible to see the entire extent of the camp, the access routes, and nearby cities, each with their particularities. The precision of the lines and the wealth of information made it clear that Jeanne was a true artist in the art of cartography.
"She really is impressive," murmured Rémy, contemplating the map with admiration while reflecting on the young leader's skills. He knew he was in the presence of a born leader, capable of planning and executing strategies with mastery. And he was grateful to have her as an ally.
Rémy sighed in relief, thinking that he was Jeanne's ally and not her enemy. He went over to a cloth lying on the ground, serving as a bed for both of them, and lay down there, feeling the tiredness take over his body.
While struggling against sleep, Rémy found himself wondering where the English soldiers could have gone. He hadn't seen any of them that day, and it made him uneasy. After all, they knew that Jeanne was around, fighting for her country and her people. Were they plotting something? Or had they given up the battle?
Jeanne walked towards her tent, feeling the cool night air and the smell of the forest as she approached. Upon entering, her eyes adjusted to the darkness, and she saw Rémy sleeping soundly on his improvised bed.
Her lips curved into an affectionate smile as she watched him for a moment, admiring his serene beauty and the peace he emanated while sleeping. She approached him carefully, trying not to wake him up but feeling the need to be closer.
Squatting next to Rémy, she watched his face for a few moments, amazed at the softness of his features. Then, with a playful gesture, she took her index finger to the tip of his nose and gently tickled him.
Rémy moved slightly, but didn't wake up, and Jeanne smiled even more, feeling happy to be there with him. For a few minutes, she continued to tickle his nose, feeling cheerful and relaxed as she watched him sleep.
Rémy suddenly woke up, feeling a strange sensation in his nose. Upon opening his eyes, he realized that Jeanne was tickling his nose while he was sleeping soundly. Dissatisfied with the prank, Rémy reprimanded his friend with a tone of censorship: "That's mean, tickling someone's nose while they're sleeping."
Jeanne, surprised by Rémy's reaction, quickly withdrew her hand and hid it behind her back, trying to disguise it. However, her expression gave away that she was having fun with the situation. Rémy, on the other hand.
"Isn't it fun? Tickling other people's noses when they're sleeping?" Remy asked with a mischievous smile, while watching Jeanne crouched next to him, ready to attack. Suddenly, he moved quickly and grabbed the young woman in his arms, catching her off guard. "Ah!" Jeanne screamed in surprise, but soon realized she was in the hands of Remy, her lover.
Without giving her time to react, Remy began tickling Jeanne's nose, making her squirm and laugh at the same time. Remy's agile hands found Jeanne's most sensitive points, making her laugh uncontrollably. "Hahahahahahaha!" Jeanne could hardly breathe, such was the effect of the tickling.
In a moment of respite, Jeanne managed to catch her breath and retorted: "Now it's my turn!" She broke free from Remy's arms and went after him, determined to return the tickling. The two of them had a lot of fun for a long time.
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