The Fall of Dewan

Chapter 14 Camp Life

 The group settled into a routine as the next few weeks passed. Genevieve found that her days were kept busy. They moved camp sites every other day or so. Setting up the camp and taking it apart took up many of her days. In the days that they weren't on the move, she, Bartholomew and Leona would go out on a hunt.

She even found that she was slowly beginning to enjoy some of their company. The pain of the loss of her family was still always with her, but she found there were moments in the days when she was able to forget. Her smiles became slightly less forced, and slightly more frequent.

Genevieve had developed growing relationships with all of the six, all different in their own rights. Alice was like the over protective mother, and Ohamed the overbearing, grumpy father. Leona and Bartholomew had become friends, Leona occasionally reminding Genevieive of Addy. Agnes was like a really weird distant relative that Genevieve had never met, there was a sense of familiarity and comfort there but it was sometime overshadowed by how odd Agnes was. Archibald was a drunken uncle of sorts, he enjoyed his ale but would also occasionally grace Genevieve with nuggets of wisdom.

After about three months, they finally dared to go into a town. Bartholomew and Leona had both scouted out this town ahead of time, and saw very few Almorian soliders. Genevieve was growing a little bit stir crazy, craving interaction with anyone outside of their group of seven. Going into town had become a large point of contention amongst the group, some (specifically Alice) being very much against it. "It is too much of a risk, and frankly an unnecessary, stupid one. There is no reason for Genevieve to go at the very least. If there are supplies then one of us can go. Why expose ourselves to the danger of someone recognizing her?"

Alice had a valid point. There was no actual need to let Genevieve go into town. But they had all grown to know her well. She had that look in her eye, the look that said she was going to do something no what what anyone said, the look of a princess that would get her way. They also knew there was little they could do to stop her, all Genevieve needed to do was command them to let her go and they would need to, due to the blood oath. So they eventually resolved to let her go in, with them, for at least that way she would have protection and it would not damage the trust they had all built with one another.

Prior to going into town they did all they could to disguise her, she wore a cloak with a hood, her hair down looking disheveled, they dirtied her face in an attempt to make her look as far from royal as possible. It worked well enough, after all their efforts she appeared to be just another village girl.

They spent only an hour in town that first time, not wanting to test their luck too much. Over the next few weeks their trips to towns became more and more frequent. They continued to move their camp often and their bravery grew with every passing outing. It helped that Genevieve's smiles grew larger and larger with every trip. They had all grown to care for her, none blind to the depression that the tragic fate of her family had left her in, so it made it difficult to pass up on an opportunity to see her happy.

While being in town, and being around her people (despite them not knowing who she was) did make her happy, she was always disappointed by the treatment of the Dewanians. Leona and Archibald needed to forcibly remove her multiple times before she could start fights with Almorian guards who were abusing village people. After one particular instance, she raged to them all around the fire, "I know we didn't want to start a war that we couldn't win. But would a war really be that much worse than the abuse and mistreatment that they are facing everyday?!"

It was Ohamed that replied. He said in a calm and steady voice "Yes it could be worse. At least this way they are alive, a war would only lead to more death."

Genevieve had no response for that so she let it be. From that point on she did her best to restrain herself. She feared that if she showed how angry seeing the state of her people made her, then the others would try to prevent her from going with them to the villages.