9 Their lives are at stake! (Part 3)

"We are going to retrack our way back to the capital." The Commander announced that caught Knight Favran, Knight Stephan, and Knight Danil surprised.

"But, but, but, Commander..." Stuttered Knight Stephan, stepping into the conversation of their Commander and Knight Favran.

Commander Eldwin and Knight Favran shot a glare at Stephan.

"Ah, uhhh... I—uh... I—I apologize, f-f-for, for, for, for, uh the... uh—w-what I'd like t-to say is that Commander, wouldn't it be dangerous to go back to the capital?" Stephan asked in between of his stuttering, "C-c-considering the fact that e-e-even t-th-the Orden of Jaime c-cannot hold the capital, alongside the Royal Order of the De'Loughrey.

"Which is why I called Danil for that. Now if both of you and Favran have any further more questions—"

"Can we keep on asking?" Stephan cut the Commander off of his sentence.

"No. Keep it to yourselves." Ridiculed Commander Eldwin Madris.

'Ah. He seemed annoyed.' Stephan bit his inner lower lip.

"Now. Danil, come with me."

Upon being summoned by his Commander, Danil saluted and says, "Yes, sire!"

As soon as Commander Eldwin turned his back towards the three knights and started pacing, Danil trailed behind him.

"What service may I be of help to you Commander?"

Danil asked in between his panting. Trying to keep up with the pace of his Commander.

Commander Eldwin's brown eyes wandered idly, picking up the tall green trees in his sight. Behind him sat the stump of the tree, on which he approached. The Commander squatted beside the stump of the tree as he drummed his finger on its surface.

Hmmm...

Hummed the Commander, when he slowly slid his fingers on the surface of the stump tree.

"The map." Spoke Commander Eldwin gesturing with his index finger to bring the map, before glancing over Danil.

"Yes, Sire!" Danil acknowledged, hurrying towards his Commander.

"Brother, you cannot do this." Disagreeing with his brother's decision, Favran placed his right arm on his hips. His curly chin-length jet black hair playing along with the wind, and as the sunlight hits them, it turns into a shade of caramel brown. His brown eyes turning into a lighter shade close to hazel.

"March out of my sight or stay silent as I lay out my plans? Choose Favran." Commander Eldwin proposed with his dueling eyes that were staring deeply at Favran's.

Favran tweezed his eyebrows, glancing away and biting one's lip. He stayed silent.

"Now then..." Slowly, Commander Eldwin rose. He stared at the map for a few moments when unconsciously, he drew his hands to his face. Pressing his index finger to his left cheek, his thumb to the jaw, and his propping chin on the rest of his clenched fingers.

"I am thinking of retracking our way back to the capital."

Blurted Commander Eldwin without hesitation.

"Sir?" Asked Stephan softly towards Favran. Favran only gave Stephan a look and nodded.

"And no matter how I think, there is only one available route for us to go back to the capital in no more than two days." An audible sigh came out of the Commander.

Danil nodded in agreement to his superior, "Two days without travel break. Three to four if we eat and sleep."

"Hmmmm... And that is no good. We have children in our company. And very young ones at that. It will be impossible for them to handle the exhaustion."

There was a long moment of silence as Commander Eldwin and Danil exchanges look. "What is it that you can suggest?" Asked Commander Eldwin.

"I... it is hard and dangerous Sire, but if we try to go through the Norven village right here," Danil crouched and pointed at the map, before making eye contact with Commander Eldwin, "We will be able to—"

"No. Not Norven. Norven is out of consideration." Interrupted Commander Eldwin switching the weight of his body to his left side.

"Sire?" Known to him what must be the reason for the disagreement of the Commander, Danil was still left confused.

"Mercenaries are scattered on every corner of Norven Town, which is why I have never considered it." Reasoned the Commander out.

"But it'll be less than a day or two. Rest won't matter too Sire." Pursued Danil.

"No. I will not risk the lives of our young master's and mistress." Close to losing patience, the Commander replied.

"But, Sire... we must take the risk if we want to go to the Capital—"

"Their lives are at stake here, Danil. The son and daughter of our Liege—His Grace, the Duke." Commander Eldwin chastised as he took a step nearer Danil while looking down at him with his darting brown eyes.

With Commander Eldwin's remark, Danil avoided his gaze with an unexpectedly calm expression. He took a deep sigh and was followed by a nod.

"Then we must go with the one that you have in mind Commander."

Danil ended. Starting to roll the map from the left part to the right.

Stephan stared at the map with his half-lidded eyes, "A moment!"

Favran flinched as Stephan suddenly shouted. He was startled.

'This little rascal.' Favran grunted as he placed his pinky finger inside his left ear, rubbing them hardly.

Everyone in the circle turned their attention to Knight Stephan.

"Commander, was it the Kerlin Town and Gafidad City, that you have in mind?" Asked Knight Stephan in curiosity as he removed his helmet, pressing the helmet on his right side and his arm.

The question that Stephan shot, made Commander Eldwin's focus directed to him, "The Kerlin Town?"

"Yes, the Kerlin town, Sire. If you'll let me, Kerlin is over here—"

"No kid. I know where Kerlin Town is. Just above the Norven Town, isn't it? So why Kerlin Town? The Capital is on our Northwest." The puzzled Commander asked.

"Well... You see, Sire, this must look like traveling in Kerlin Town would take us a lot of time because of its wide and long acre. A-a-and including the fact that it is going southeast."

"That is affirmative." Agreed Commander Eldwin.

"However Commander, considering its terrain, it's a plain field, no hills as much as the path through Ingrid Village has, nor streams and rivers."

"Indeed." The Commander once again agreed, with a slight from on his face as he analyzes the map.

"And after we exit Kerlin Town, we go to Gafidad City, the "

"Hold, Stephan. You Danil, write the coordinates." Ordered Commander Eldwin.

"Done with the coordinates Sire. From here to Kerlin, a hundred and thirty-five degrees southeast, Kerlin Town to Gafidad City will be, three hundred and thirty-five degrees..." Danil paused, as he waited for the compass's rose to stop from moving, "...Three hundred thirty-five degrees northwest." He added.

"Gather all the knights Favran. Make sure that when I lay my eyes on them, they are all geared up. Understood?" Commander Eldwin asked, more like he was challenging Favran. "I assume you would be able to elaborate to them the situation we have on hand." He added as he walks away, now heading towards Andraste Csilla and Audemar Cirillo, whom has been waiting for him for a long time since earlier.

"I cannot believe this, really... sighs... I am not even quite sure if my brother is only too fond of those siblings, or was it because he has become their pet. Poor you." Then Favran cockily chuckled.

His chuckling suddenly came to halt when he felt an eye on him. It was Stephan, with a mouth gaped wide open.

"What's hard to believe is that you are Commander's brother. I mean, how come?" Curiosity it must be that made Stephan ask the question, but it came out as an insult to Favran, causing him to crinkle his nose with his upper lips arching.

"Why you!—Come over here you fucking little rascal! You piece of clumsy pathetic junk and... and pathetic!" Yelled Favran, chasing after Stephan.

"You've said 'pathetic' twice, Sir!" Yelled back Stephan, not bothering to look back at Favran.

"Rascal!" Yelled Favran, slowly and slowly he stopped on chasing after Stephan. "Damn that boy. Haah... haah, hah... Who... would have thought...that he was such a runner?" Favran then smiled smuggishly.