A long and uncertain journey lay before them, but their cause was plainly noble. Zelgius’ presence had quickened his plan to pursue Seo-yeon, all in hopes of finding valid clues about what had truly befell her. Considering what they were going to contend with, they would need all of the aid they could muster. Not that Jae-hyo would refuse the other’s company, in his opinion, the decision wasn’t up to him- The sellsword was going whether Zelgius chose to accompany him, or not.
The seasoned warrior had already gone above and beyond merely aiding him for an unspecified amount of time, though he was certain that the other male would earnestly state there was ‘no need to thank him’ with kind gestures and other acts of appreciation.
Luckily, there were clear skies and less powerful winds gusting along the landmarks of the plains, which made traveling far less of a daunting endeavor. They were leaving much of the landscape behind them in a smaller amount of time. As the grasslands began to recede, more hilly terrain and hiking became involved. When they could, they paid to hitch a ride on a merchant caravan, which removed the burden of walking solely by foot and conserved their strength, but they still had to make camp and feed themselves. Building up a sweat took little by the way of labor, searching for kindling and setting traps for game.
They’d caught and skinned a few rabbits, making a pleasant tasting (if lean) stew from the reserves of their supplies. Yoon had to sneak in a few sprinkles of crushed red pepper flakes into his own bowl to make it more to his taste, but all in all- it had been a good day of scouting and hunting.
“We should be nearing the forest soon,” he observed, gesturing his spoon at the massive canopy of dense woodlands in the distance. The rogue had been more subdued throughout their trek, his normally witty banter and gusto having waned considerably. Now little more than a dim glow of his former self, there had been more awkward silences than he could count on his hands. Zelgius usually ate, took watch over the fire, then traded shifts with Jae as the sun disappeared beneath the horizon- But he really thought he might lose it if they didn’t start talking a bit more.
“So… Knighthood and whatnot,” he reflected, drumming his thin fingers against the lean muscle of his right thigh.
“Y’know, noble hearted types usually can’t stand folk like me. I was surprised that you entertained my pleas at all, to be honest. Not that I’m complaining- I fear the journey would have been far more painful and difficult if it were me, alone.”
