It goes without saying that Lloyd lets Zelos sleep for a lot longer than ten minutes. Ignoring the fact that it would be unfair to wake Zelos up after so little rest when Lloyd slept for at least a good two hours, judging by the sun's placement in the sky, Lloyd knows that if they both want to make more distance before nightfall, they need to actively get back some of the energy they've burned. So he lets Zelos sleep, instead sneaking a hand into his pack and pulling out some more food rations to quell his hunger and hopefully help with the slight headache he's nursing. Lloyd would light a campfire, but it wouldn't make sense to if they plan on leaving, and might just drag more attention to them where it isn't needed.
The only problem with keeping watch while Zelos sleeps and without anything else to do other than keep alert and observe the nature around them, Lloyd soon finds, is that without anything to actively keep him busy, he's left alone with his thoughts to keep him company. His swords lie in their sheaths, and for a moment, he's tempted to train, but straining his body further would be a terrible idea. So he sits, waiting, thinking, and snacking until he's no longer as hungry as he was.
Unfortunately, for all the things he could be thinking about, his mind seems deadset on focusing on Kratos, on their last argument and all the what-ifs that spawn from just thinking about his father. By now, his absence is sure to have been noted, and Zelos' too, probably. Bitterly, Lloyd wonders about what Kratos thinks, if he told his command to look for his awful son and bring his head for the chopping block. Or maybe he stuck to protocol, told them that Lloyd had probably kidnapped Zelos and needed to be brought before the king. Maybe Kratos looked ashamed, name once again tarnished by an Irving he hated to acknowledge.
"If you did, you would be a good son!"
Well, there goes that hope huh, dear father?
After around an hour and a half, Lloyd gently wakes Zelos with another smile and helps him up, both of them rested enough to continue their journey. Packs ready and weapons equipped, Lloyd gets back to guiding them, first getting them back on the main merchant's path they had been traveling and then sticking to the backroads, walking and walking and walking as the sun falls lower and lower in the sky, keeping an eye on their direction and following the route planned. Dirk had told him in a letter that the best time to travel to Iselia was during the fall, when the southern heat cools off to the coming of winter, and if everything works out, they'll both be able to avoid the worst of the heat traveling through the north in the summer months. Lloyd only prays that they get to shelter in Iselia before winter comes, knowing that the last thing he'd want to do is make Zelos travel through the snow.
He remembers, again, the way Zelos had paced and paced and paced. Remembers the cold and distant condolences offered during Mylene's funeral, how everyone was sorry for Zelos' loss but not for what Zelos would lose, words empty and shallow. He remembers pulling Zelos in for a hug and holding him tight, hoping that the young lord would get that if anything, Lloyd would understand.
When the sun slips behind the horizon, Lloyd leads them off the main path and into a small forest clearing, something private and unlikely to be bothered. "We should rest for the night," Lloyd says, already placing his pack down by a tree off to the side. He slides the map and compass in, pulling out instead a flintrock and a dagger, shoving them in his pockets. "We both need proper rest, even if the catnaps did help."
And its true. The catnaps got them through the rest of the day's travels, but they're both exhausted again and that much is obvious. They need to sleep and they need to eat proper food at some point, and this could be the best place for that to happen as of right now. So, with that said, Lloyd leaves Zelos with the direction to watch their stuff as he quickly grabs firewood from around the area, coming back with an armful of it and placing it down on the ground in the center of the clearing.
"Ever learn how to start a fire?" Lloyd asks with a grin as he adjusts the placement of the wood, grabbing some dry grass from nearby and using it as tinder. Then, placing the head of the flintrock against the tinder, he takes the dagger and quickly scrapes it against the mineral, once, twice, and -
"There we go!" He exclaims as the sparks catch, the tinder coming alight. Lloyd guides the small flame into the mass of tinder, watching as it grows and begins eating at the firewood, sitting back on his hands when it does. The warmth from the fire begins to spread through the cool spring night, and Lloyd finds himself closing his eyes and enjoying it before long.
After a few minutes of silence, Lloyd focuses his attention over to Zelos. With the way the fire crackles and the crickets chirp, the trees swaying in the breeze, it's almost hard to remember that Lloyd is technically now running for his life, that they're both desperately chasing true freedom. And he wants to say something, anything, to keep the peace going, but he can't quite think of what. For as long as they've known each other, for as effortlessly talking to Zelos used to be, they don't know each other that well anymore. Lloyd hopes that eventually, they'll be able to bridge that gap once again.
For now, though, he figures he should tell Zelos the plan.
"Zelos, how familiar are you with the town of Iselia?"
no subject
The only problem with keeping watch while Zelos sleeps and without anything else to do other than keep alert and observe the nature around them, Lloyd soon finds, is that without anything to actively keep him busy, he's left alone with his thoughts to keep him company. His swords lie in their sheaths, and for a moment, he's tempted to train, but straining his body further would be a terrible idea. So he sits, waiting, thinking, and snacking until he's no longer as hungry as he was.
Unfortunately, for all the things he could be thinking about, his mind seems deadset on focusing on Kratos, on their last argument and all the what-ifs that spawn from just thinking about his father. By now, his absence is sure to have been noted, and Zelos' too, probably. Bitterly, Lloyd wonders about what Kratos thinks, if he told his command to look for his awful son and bring his head for the chopping block. Or maybe he stuck to protocol, told them that Lloyd had probably kidnapped Zelos and needed to be brought before the king. Maybe Kratos looked ashamed, name once again tarnished by an Irving he hated to acknowledge.
Well, there goes that hope huh, dear father?
After around an hour and a half, Lloyd gently wakes Zelos with another smile and helps him up, both of them rested enough to continue their journey. Packs ready and weapons equipped, Lloyd gets back to guiding them, first getting them back on the main merchant's path they had been traveling and then sticking to the backroads, walking and walking and walking as the sun falls lower and lower in the sky, keeping an eye on their direction and following the route planned. Dirk had told him in a letter that the best time to travel to Iselia was during the fall, when the southern heat cools off to the coming of winter, and if everything works out, they'll both be able to avoid the worst of the heat traveling through the north in the summer months. Lloyd only prays that they get to shelter in Iselia before winter comes, knowing that the last thing he'd want to do is make Zelos travel through the snow.
When the sun slips behind the horizon, Lloyd leads them off the main path and into a small forest clearing, something private and unlikely to be bothered. "We should rest for the night," Lloyd says, already placing his pack down by a tree off to the side. He slides the map and compass in, pulling out instead a flintrock and a dagger, shoving them in his pockets. "We both need proper rest, even if the catnaps did help."
And its true. The catnaps got them through the rest of the day's travels, but they're both exhausted again and that much is obvious. They need to sleep and they need to eat proper food at some point, and this could be the best place for that to happen as of right now. So, with that said, Lloyd leaves Zelos with the direction to watch their stuff as he quickly grabs firewood from around the area, coming back with an armful of it and placing it down on the ground in the center of the clearing.
"Ever learn how to start a fire?" Lloyd asks with a grin as he adjusts the placement of the wood, grabbing some dry grass from nearby and using it as tinder. Then, placing the head of the flintrock against the tinder, he takes the dagger and quickly scrapes it against the mineral, once, twice, and -
"There we go!" He exclaims as the sparks catch, the tinder coming alight. Lloyd guides the small flame into the mass of tinder, watching as it grows and begins eating at the firewood, sitting back on his hands when it does. The warmth from the fire begins to spread through the cool spring night, and Lloyd finds himself closing his eyes and enjoying it before long.
After a few minutes of silence, Lloyd focuses his attention over to Zelos. With the way the fire crackles and the crickets chirp, the trees swaying in the breeze, it's almost hard to remember that Lloyd is technically now running for his life, that they're both desperately chasing true freedom. And he wants to say something, anything, to keep the peace going, but he can't quite think of what. For as long as they've known each other, for as effortlessly talking to Zelos used to be, they don't know each other that well anymore. Lloyd hopes that eventually, they'll be able to bridge that gap once again.
For now, though, he figures he should tell Zelos the plan.
"Zelos, how familiar are you with the town of Iselia?"