Once everyone was looked over, Eisso led them deeper into Plegia. He didn't let them stop until Morgan found a place for them to set up camp, which would put them at an advantage if they were attacked again.
Eisso didn't talk to anyone much. He knew they would misinterpret it as shock or fear. But in truth, he just wasn't up for it.
His original dinner plans were to sit by himself in the corner. And then Kenzie, Lucina, Morgan, and Malin came over.
"Can we join you?" Malin asked.
Eisso seriously wanted to decline. But he decided against it. "Sure," He said. They all sat down around him, and silence fell for a little while.
"How's your arm?" Kenzie asked. "It was the best I could do; most of the staffs are broken and we haven't had the time to replace them."
"It stopped bleeding," Eisso replied. "It just…really hurts now. But I'll be fine." He looked over at Morgan and Lucina. "Did the assassin get killed, too, or did she escape?"
"Loralis—the assassin—left with about a dozen men," Lucina said. "The rest of them are dead."
"That isn't our fault," Eisso said. "Assuming what she said was true, they were ordered to take their own lives if they came too close to death."
"That's horrible," Kenzie said quietly. "I mean, I get it, they're a bloodthirsty cult, but still. How can so many people come to terms with death like that?"
"They weren't counting on us fighting back to strongly," Malin replied. "And even if they were, they must've been in a rush to meet us. I wouldn't put it past them if they raided villages and equipped them with weapons." He paused for a few moments. "But then again, my opinions on the Grimleal are highly biased."
"Well, that aside, did Loralis say anything else before she left?" Eisso asked. "Or does anyone have any theories about how she got ahead of us?"
"I didn't hear anything," Morgan replied. "But I think she left the castle a few days after we did. That's probably what Mother meant by how the situation wasn't 'ideal' back home; Loralis escaped on her own or someone got in to break her out. And since they were just keeping her in a spare room, it would've been that hard. But Mother didn't mention it in detail because she didn't want us to worry."
"I'd rather worry and know than be five percent less worried and clueless," Lucina admitted. "I mean…it's nice to know that she cares, but I, at least, would like to know when something like that happened."
"All of us except for Malin are in our teens," Morgan argued. "And I can't think of a single person in this army who would take that lightly."
Lucina didn't make a comeback, instead continuing eat her dinner, and after a few moments, the others did too.
Eisso finished eating first, quietly excusing himself and going to his tent. He sat down and began to take off his bandages, but stopped once the gentle touch made his entire arm start hurting again. He laid down on his cot, ready to fall asleep, but a quiet voice stopped him.
"I want to talk for a little bit." It was Lucina. He could barely hear her; either he was already half asleep or she was talking really quietly.
"Come in," Eisso said.
Lucina came into the tent, holding some bandages. "I figured I could help redress your wound," she explained. "I know that you're a bit finicky around blood."
"By now, it's less of the blood and more of the pain," Eisso replied. "But I can ask Kenzie to do it later; you don't have to."
"No, no. This way I can do more than talking. Sit up, please; and don't look at your arm once I have it unwrapped."
Eisso nodded, sitting up and readjusting himself so Lucina could sit beside him. He kept his eyes shut.
"I'm sorry," Lucina said quietly. She took off a section of bandage—they both winced. "I shouldn't have left you. We were told to stay in pairs of two, but I went to get Morgan, leaving you with Loralis. I should've stayed; I would've stayed if I knew she could use a sword and bow in equal skill."
"If it's anyone's fault, it's mine," Eisso replied. "Don't worry about it. Honestly, I'm just glad it wasn't worse."
"It's definitely going to scar," Lucina said. She finished peeling off the old bandages and started putting on the new ones. "But…I guess on the bright side, you'll be able to brag about it once this is over. Or at least have proof."
Eisso laughed—not a lot, though. "That's one way to look at it," he said.