Heart Of

Chapter 27 - Leap of Faith

[fifteenth of Aima]

When Valleus opened his eyes, he was pleasantly surprised to realize he felt quite refreshed. The supportive words from both his cousin and the Dragon echoed in his mind, calming his nerves. Stepping out of his tent, his eyes opened wide. He'd been so preoccupied with trying to get some time to talk to Aushen that he hadn't noticed the glorious view from the campsite.

Being slowly lit by the rising sun was the land of Fiilzia. Though shrouded with clouds, he could make out the distant mountains that surrounded the small nation on the opposite side. The path they were on descended slightly to the first city- Morcrisse. They were still quite far, but Valleus could see what must be huge structures hewn straight from the side of the mountain, dusted in snow. Down further led to a fertile valley, spread like a crater within the encircled, towering peaks. The land was varying shades of orange and yellow, reflecting the change of the seasons. In spite of how far north they were, the land of Fiilzia seemed to have proper seasons.

Nearly dead-center in the valley rose a single mountain, flattened at the top. There, on the summit, lay Fiilzia's capital city, Selovaro. Between the still-dimmed light and cloud cover, it was nearly impossible to see. However, it was clear to see that many paths all around Fiilzia led to its core. Valleus felt his heart flutter at the sight of a land so completely foreign and new. He was here with a mission, to be sure, but that didn't mean he couldn't enjoy himself.

Part of Valleus wanted to dash in while Aushen was eating breakfast and quickly confess while Olef was out, but in truth, he didn't want to be rushed. Telling Aushen about his feelings was important, and it was worth waiting for the right moment.

The caravan began to move, and Valleus trotted Daedala alongside the prince's carriage. After a while, he was surprised to look up and see someone coming his way from the front of the caravan. "Captain Titus!" Valleus called out respectfully. Even though he outranked Titus, he felt it was only right to reaffirm Titus' position of authority during the trip.

Titus smiled, cantering towards him. Once he came near, he slowed to a trot, turning to walk forward alongside Valleus. "Hello Valleus! Good to see you acting as a knight again. How was attendant duty?"

Valleus turned his face briefly, feeling himself blush slightly. He took a deep breath, and set his eyes forward. "It was fine. I believe I'm more suited for knighthood, though."

Titus' gruff laughter rang through the air. "I'm sure! I'll bet His Highness was glad to be rid of you, hm?" Valleus was glad to see that Titus didn't notice him flinching at that statement. "Anyways, I wanted to discuss something with you. We were originally planning on camping out one more night, then staying in Morcrisse tomorrow. However, the scouts came back and told us by the time we're ready to camp out, we'll be in a fairly populated area. It'll be a bit long, but I think it'll be safer for the prince and princess if we reach Morcrisse tonight. I've already instructed the scouts to ride ahead to Morcrisse to inform them we'll be arriving this evening. Would you mind informing his highness of our plans?"

Valleus thought for a moment. They'd been traveling so long, he felt unprepared to rejoin society. He wondered offhand if this change of plans would again keep him from talking with Aushen. "Who will be guarding her highness the princess?" Valleus asked.

"I was thinking of having Sir Torin do it. Until now, I'd been hesitant to put him solely in charge of the princess since he's been acting as captain of the sixth squad in your stead, but since the squads will be breaking off to keep correspondence, I figure it makes sense," Titus mused, explaining his thought process.

Valleus agreed, nodding. "Sounds good. I'll inform his highness of the change of plans."

"All right, I'll send Torin this way shortly." With that, Titus urged his horse into a gallop, heading back to the front of the caravan.